Morty the Jackapoo: Day One

My parents went to a friend's cottage for a few days and (since there will be a cat in attendance) Morty the Jackapoo was not invited. So I get to be substitute Dog-mommy for the rest of the week. Morty is a small, but high-jumping dog, who my parents walk 500 times a day, and who my mother feels needs a sitter even if they are only gone for two hours.

This morning William and I had to go to our registered program at the Early Years Centre just after Mom and Dad dropped the pup off. The program basically involves William running around with other toddlers, doing a craft (if he feels like it), eating a snack (sometimes even his own), and running around some more until he's so exhausted that he might actually sit for songs in circle time. William falls asleep in the car on the way home.

My main concern this morning: there is a high-jumping jackapoo in the house; will he wake the baby? As I was carrying my sleeping baby into the house, sure enough there was Morty, leaping and licking. I tried to shield William with my body, but Morty was too quick, tickling William's toes with his tongue. William giggled, but miraculously stayed asleep.

Then, about a minute after I lay William down in his crib, Morty barked. My son did not wake up. It appears I underestimated the sedative powers of an Early Years Centre Program!

Morty's attempts to wake William having been unsuccessful, he now has to wait at least an hour, maybe two, before I can take him for a walk. Poor little Morty, not as many walkies to be had at Auntie Jen's house.

(and now to inspect the house for chewed baby toys)

William's First Halloween

I went trick-or-treating tonight for the first time in ten years (yes, I trick-or-treated until I was 18) and this time there were no "Aren't you a little old for this?" comments. Sweet! Babies can be quite useful in scoring free candy.

The pictures above were taken at the Ontario Early Years Centre near my house. It was a Halloween party there today. Kind of exactly the same stuff went on as any other day, except all the kids were dressed up. For those of you who can't tell because the disguise is so clever, William is the one dressed as a dinosaur/lizard/Godzilla-thing. His best friend Aedan is the lion.

William's Public Meltdown

William had his first shots a month ago, so today when the Early Years Centre Calling New Parents' topic was immunization, he staged a protest. Wailed his little lungs out. Normally, when my little angel gets a little fussy during one of these talks, I tell myself that noone else thinks he's disrupting the whole group. This time there was no denying it.

Since this talk was given by some official shot expert, the woman who normally heads the class came over and offered to help me with riot control. She walked him around the room for me and he was fine until she gave him back. Figuring it was because I was sitting down, I stood up and rocked him, trying various holding positions like some kind of baby juggler.

Finally I sat down and whipped my boob out. This muffled his cries but didn't do much else because he wasn't hungry. I stripped him down to his diaper and tryed again. This time he sucked until he fell asleep. He woke up three seconds later, slightly cranky but definitely improved.

Even now, as I write this blog, I've been trying to transform William into a happy baby. He's quiet now in his crib, but at last check was not asleep. Yes, it is 4:30 pm, but he needs his nap. (Or, more specifically, I need his nap).

My only explanation for William's mood is that it's hot today, and the child has inherited his father's intolerence for heat. My husband is legendary for wearing shorts and sandals on cold October days.


Today's playlist quiz:

1. She-ra! She-ra!
2. I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind.
3. Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime.
4. May I have your attention, please? May I have your attention, please?
5. Inspector Gadget. Woo hoo!

Hint: I have a lot of theme songs on my playlist.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day Eva/Babcia, and Robin, and Becca, and all the Moms at the Early Years Centre, and Lynda and Cathy (who threw me the Salsa Shower) and all the other mothers in the universe. But most especially, Happy Mother's Day Mom (aka Omi). This year I have a whole new appreciation for everything you did (and are still doing) for us. I love you Mom!

Anyway, here's what William got me:

And today's playlist quiz:

1. Don't wish it away

2. Been so long now I've wanted to touch you

3. Greetings, Kermit the frog here.

4. The tables are empty.

5. Does she walk, does she talk, does she come complete?

The Mother Goose Baby Singles Club

William and I went to Mother Goose today at the Ontario Early Years Centre. Apparently there's a waiting list ten kilometres long to get into this program so it's kind of a big deal. The idea is you and your baby go and learn rhymes and songs and have a good time. What actually ends up happening is a bunch of babies looking around, squawking and goobering on things, while their Moms go "Come on honey. Look at Mommy. La la la." I think William has a crush on the little girl Emma who was sitting next to us. He kept staring at her. While he my son was fascinated by his new love, I was learning some songs and rhymes. Here's a simple one I like:

Tony Chestnut knows I love you
Tony Chestnut knows I love you
Tony Chestnut knows I love you
That's what Tony knows

When you say a body part, you're supposed to point to it. Like TOE, KNEE, CHEST, NUT(head), NOSE, EYE, love you. Get it? I like it because 1: it's very punny, and 2: William likes it when I touch his nose.

Anyway, my facebook friends got me wise to a fun time-wasting quiz. I post the first lines of tracks that randomly come up on my iTunes, and my internet buddies can rack their brains trying to figure out what song it is. I've decided to make this a regular blog feature (until I get bored of doing it). No fair googling lyrics guys.

Today's playlist quiz:

1. Stardate 2434.2
2. Baby can't you see I'm calling
3. What I've got you've got to give it to your mama
4. Maybe I didn't love you quite as often as I could have
5. Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away.

Hint: # 1 is not really a song.

Germy Daddy

Every Tuesday William and I walk to the Ontario Early Years Centre where a nurse whose name I forget does a talk on something. Last week's topic was making your own baby food. The week before that, sun safety and West Nile virus. I don't know what the topic is today, but we probably won't go.

Why not? William's germy Daddy has given us both colds. At least, I have a cold. It's hard to tell if William is suffering from a sore throat like the rest of us, or just crying because he's a baby. Whatever, the point is I don't think it would be very nice to spread the germs to the other Mom's and babies.

So what do I do with myself? I know not. Perhaps I'll peruse the book on sign language that I got at the Salsa shower. So far I learned that I've been doing things all wrong. For one thing, I was incorrectly doing the sign for change. For another, the signs for "milk" and "change", while practical, are no fun for babies. Babies are more likely to learn words and signs for things that they can't express by crying. Like "airplane" or "ceiling fan". Or so says the book.

Another obstacle to this signing business is that I need to have two extra arms grafted to my body. I wonder how those who are truly hearing impaired hold their children and talk to them at the same time. Maybe I'll figure this out by the time he's six-months old (the optimum age for starting to sign according to the book). At least this sore throat will be gone by then.

Hopefully this cold will be gone by Thursday so William will be healthy enough to get his first shots. (Although, postponing such scariness can't be too bad).

Don't be a shut-in 101

William and I went down to the Early Years Centre for the Tuesday "Calling All Parents" program. Today's topic was "Families in Motion", something about keeping fit. The topic matters not, however, because William had his own speech to deliver which he assured me was far more important. He was being a grumpy gus the whole time (you know you're a Mom when you start using phrases like "grumpy gus")

There were at least 30 Moms there, with 30 babies (one Daddy) and at first only William was crying. The good thing about being in a room full of Moms though is that everyone is looking at you with sympathy, instead of giving you the "Can't you make that kid shut up?" scowl. I got several whispers of "He's so cute" during his meltdown.

Now William and I haven't exactly mastered the art of public breastfeeding, so I usually feed him until he's comatose before we leave the house. I guessed he wasn't satisfied, and since about a third of the other Moms already had their boobs out, I decided to go for it. When breastfeeding in public it's customary to put a blanket or something over your exposed booby (and baby's head) so the prudish masses can continue to pretend they've never seen that sort of thing before. Anyway, this is awkward for both me and for him. He had a few token sucks hiding in the darkness before going back to crankiness.

As the talk went on I got him to quiet by bouncing and shushing and I was quite pleased with myself for seeming like the most amazing Mommy in the world. Then of course some of the other babies started a crying chorus and he just had to join. The talk thing was almost over by this point (well, there was about half hour to go) so William and I decided to duck out early. He didn't mind telling me that he was a bit over stimulated. Having that many babies in one room is craziness!

I think I'll go again next week.