baby – Page 3 – hellomelissa.net

To-do list

April 30, 2009December 6, 2008 by Melissa Price-Mitchell

My mum and mother-in-law are coming up on Sunday to visit Flora and I (they’d visit Sean too, but he is out of town this weekend). I need to get a bunch of things done before they get here. I’m putting this list online to ensure I shame myself into completing all the jobs. Some of these things don’t really need to be done before they get here, but I figure if I add them to the list, there’s a chance they’ll get done too.

wash dishes
clean up living room
wrap Christmas presents so the mums can take them to their homes, since we celebrate Christmas down there (in progress)
Finish writing thank you notes (getting there) (done and mailed!)
Finish baby laundry (almost done – it’s in the dryer! just need to put it away when it is done)
Start Sean’s and my laundry (in progress, but probably won’t get put away until tomorrow or Monday. I am okay with this)
Put duvet cover back on bed
clean bathroom
vacuum/mop kitchen/living room floor (this may be pushing it a bit)

And, oh yeah, take care of Flora. I’ve probably bitten off more than I can chew with this list, but if I get the first three jobs done before the mums show up, that will be okay.

Wish me luck!

Flora has a bonding moment with her daddy (and the dog)

April 30, 2009October 30, 2008 by Melissa Price-Mitchell

Sean hates it when I post pictures of him sleeping on the web. (I only did it once before, so it’s not like it’s a regular occurrence.) However, he and Flora looked so cute in these pictures, I had to share them.

When my sister saw them on my Flickr page (she checks it every day to see if I’ve posted new pictures of Flora), she told me that there was a similar picture of my dad and I. I can’t remember if I’ve seen it (I’m sure I have), but she told me that she wanted to group the two pictures together in a frame. Obviously, she is the scrapbooker of the family. I then remembered that I saw a similar picture with Sean and his dad (his dad isn’t sleeping, but the premise is right), so maybe she should group all three if we can find all the pictures.

I must have stumbled on some classic baby picture pose, if we all have a picture like this. I wonder if there is a book of classic baby picture ideas that you can apply to your baby.

Another one of those “get to know you” questionnaires

April 30, 2009October 25, 2008 by Melissa Price-Mitchell

I am such a sucker for these quizzes. And it’s good to post something on here that isn’t baby-related.

Here goes:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I don’t think so, but now I want to ask my mom about it.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I think Thursday. Flora would not go to sleep and I was getting frustrated. Once she finally fell asleep she smiled a little in her crib (which was due to gas), I cried a little more. And I thought my hormones were sorted out by now!

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? When it’s legible, yes.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? I don’t eat a lot of lunch meat, but turkey is okay. The sub shop in my hometown makes a really good turkey and bacon sub (actually, all their subs are good), and that’s where I eat most of my lunch meat.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? I have one daughter. That is still weird to type. She is seven weeks old

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I hope so, or I’m not a very nice person.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Uh, yeah!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I used to want to when I was younger, but now I’m not so sure. That last sentence made me feel old

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Honey Nut Cheerios.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? It depends on the shoe and how it fits.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Sometimes. I’d like to be stronger though.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? I haven’t met too many flavours I don’t like, but we seem to buy vanilla the most.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? It’s different for every person.

15. RED OR PINK? I wear a lot more pink, but red has its place too.

16. WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT YOURSELF ? My weight bums me out sometimes, but I try not to get too bent out of shape about it.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad. He died back in 1991, just before I turned 13 years old. I wish I could have known him as an adult – I think his two pre-teen daughters were starting to bewilder him. I have a hard time picturing him as a grandfather since he died so young (38), and that makes me sad. I think he would have been a good one though. I just wish he could have had the opportunity to do so. (If I write any more, I’ll have to change the answer to #2.)

18. FAVOURITE INDULGENCE? Spicy Nacho Doritos, wine (not together)

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? blue jeans, black socks with beige flowers on them

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? crackers

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the clicking keyboard and the occasional squeak from Flora who is sleeping in the next room

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? Probably a deep purple-y pink

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? my husband, tomato leaves, lavender, Flora after a bath

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? my husband

25. BROTHERS AND SISTERS? one sister, four stepbrothers

26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? hockey on TV, basketball live (but I’m not a big sport watcher generally)

27. HAIR COLOR? dark red dyejob

28. EYE COLOR? blue/green

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no – can’t fathom sticking something in my eye on purpose

30. FAVORITE FOOD? tomatoes, cheese and garlic – you can always make a meal based on those three items

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings – I hate scary movies

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? In full? I’m not sure

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? black

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer,summer, summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES? all the above

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? pie (apple or raspberry)

37. TOP OR BOTTOM? none of your beeswax

38. FAVOURITE SHOES: I heart my Birkenstocks. I’ve worn the soles down, so I’ll probably need a new pair next summer

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Mostly baby care books, but I picked up “Life on Planet Rock” by Lonn Friend and I’m rereading that again.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD? No mousepad – laser mouse

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? I’m thinking back, and I don’t remember. I PVR everything I watch regularly so I can watch the shows when Flora is asleep or feeding

42. FAVORITE SOUND? The rain

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Queen

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? I went to the Dominican Republic on vacation in January – was very fun

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Aren’t all talents special?

46. WHERE AND WHEN WERE YOU BORN? I was born in Picton, Ontario in 1978

Don’t forget to fill out your version of this questionnaire!

Almost seven weeks old…

May 5, 2009October 22, 2008 by Melissa Price-Mitchell

This is Sean feeding Flora for the first time. This picture was taken last night. We bought a breast pump on Saturday, and I think I’ve mostly gotten the hang of using it. I’ve only spilled a couple of times and gotten breastmilk in the motor once.

Flora took the bottle without issue, which really surprised me. I’ve heard so many horror stories about babies refusing bottles when they are breastfed and having to try a zillion different bottle/nipple combinations to get the bottle near their little mouths.

Let’s hope this lasts – I plan to pump a bunch and have a stockpile on hand in the freezer. That way, I can leave the house on my own for longer than a couple of hours once in a while. I don’t envision Sean taking over the night feedings any time soon – he rarely wakes up when the baby cries at night. However, if I ask him to help out at night (which I try not to do too often), he usually does without issue. I usually ask for help with the early morning feed – he changes her and brings her to me so I can feed her in bed. It’s a nice family moment since all three of us are mostly asleep until it’s time for Sean to get ready for work.

These pictures are from some tomfoolery Flora and I got into today. I swear, when her eyes get all googly, I think she is half-Muppet.

One month old

May 5, 2009October 4, 2008 by Melissa Price-Mitchell

Where did the time go? I can’t believe it’s October already. Flora is one month old today. We went to her one month doctor’s appointment yesterday and she is doing very well. She is now just over nine pounds, so she gained nearly three pounds in a month. The sleepers that were too big when we came home from the hospital are fitting much better now. As Grandma Faye (my mum) says “she’s perfect!”

Sean went back to work almost two weeks ago. His first day back at work was the first day I had spent alone with Flora since she was born. I was anxious about being able to handle it, but we’re doing okay and sort of settled into a routine. I’ve managed to get dressed and fit in a few chores every day before Sean comes home so I figure we’re doing okay.

Flora is starting to have wakeful times during the day now, so it is nice to see her eyes. She is constantly looking all around the room, taking everything in. I wish I knew what was so interesting about what she sees. Despite all the time she spends awake, I still seem to take most of my pictures when she is sleeping. I guess that’s because it’s hard to take a picture of a baby while you are holding her. I need to get after Sean to take some pictures of her with me, or at least when she’s not crying. (Sean seems to catch a lot of pictures of her when she’s crying for some reason.)

Speaking of crying, she’s not a major crier yet. She lets us know if something is on her mind, but usually calms down once we figure it out. She has trouble getting burps out sometimes so that’s something we’re working on. Between the farting, the grunting and the noise of a diaper being filled, I had no idea that newborn babies were so noisy. I expected crying, but not bum noises I can hear from another room! (She is going to kill me when she is a teenager and she finds these archives on the web.)

My mom came to visit earlier this week and the three of us went on Flora’s first outing that wasn’t a doctor’s appointment or a walk around the block. We just went to the mall to pick up a parcel for Sean and get some groceries, but it felt good to finally leave the house for more than a few minutes. The stroller steers well, and fits in the trunk (barely – we have a small car). Flora had many admirers and was very well behaved – there was some crying occasionally but she calmed herself down and went back to sleep. Breastfeeding in public was not attempted – more because she didn’t need it rather than due to any embarrassment on my part.

Sean and I took Flora on her second outing after her doctor’s appointment. We went to Costco, and she slept through most of that expedition. She had a few admirers there as well. One set of ladies fawned over her a couple of times throughout the store. It made me giggle and feel more than a little proud. Fortunately no one tried to touch her, considering that cold and flu season is starting. We don’t start our immunizations until next month, and I don’t feel ready to deal with a sick baby yet.

Here are some more pictures from the last couple of weeks.

Getting ready to go out with Mummy and Grandma.