Back Home to a Nice Rhythm

Time at the Cottage for Lily:

I can't believe I am saying this but....I am happy to be back from the cottage. I had an amazing week up there with soaring temperatures and the opportunity to get Lily in the water to kick and splash (yes it was warm enough). My friend joined us for the last few days with her 10 mths old and 2.5 yrs old. It was chaos! But a fun chaos with lots of laughs, walks to the beach and cocktails at five. The biggest comedy was all of us coming home in one car. The two babies and the toddler in the back (all in their car seats) and me in the passenger seat with Charlotte on my lap. Thankfully she was soooooo tired that she took to the floor at my feat. Thanks Andrea for all the fun and for the Impy...the big Impala that got us home safely.

I have photos of proof that we were in the water but alas, my memory card reader is not working so waiting is the game for pictures.

Lily's milestones while we were away:

• Crawled seven paces to reach for the House & Home magazine (takes after her mamma)




• Ate avocado for the first time
• Clapped her hands (well she was trying for palm to palm but it was more fist to fist)
• Swam with my help in the C.I. waters kicking her feet and splashing hands
  


• Played in the sand for the first time and even tasted the fine grains

Little Miss Mouse having fun in my sarong from Indonesia (circa 1996)

I think there is a lot more to look forward to this summer at the cottage.

Cottage Bound

I so look forward to the weekend that we open the cottage. We always try to open before the May long weekend so we can have some relaxation when we are up there for May 24. This opening will prove to be different with Baby Lily on board. Not sure how much work I will be getting done.

I am also looking forward to Lily putting her wee toes into the sand for the very first time and I think it will be warm enough on Sat and Sun.

The big hit this weekend will be for Charlotte to sprint up and down the beach, fetching her ball, swimming for a stick or if she is lucky finding something yucky to roll in. I really look forward to seeing her happy smile when she realizes we are getting close to the cottage (yes I am still talking about my dog).

Oh to be a dog in the summer....

My First Mother's Day

Today my plans were to go to Barrie to have a Mother's Day brunch with family and I changed gears and decided to stay at home as logistics were not in my favour. Then I thought I would pop over to my girlfriends as there was going to be a couple families there and their children. I adore my girlfriend's kids and knew it would be fun but my beautiful daughter had other plans for our first Mother's Day together.

Yes Lily decided to jump off the path of any predictable schedule and just do her own thing to keep me on my toes and to keep us both close to home. We made it out in the morning to walk Charlotte and see some snow fall but after that it was any one's game.

Lily would sleep for 30 min and then become wide awake for 90 min, then sleep for maybe 45 min and then be playful for 60 min ....you get the program. So we did not do anything but play and when Lily slept I watched snippets of a movie (as a treat), ate chocolate, looked at photos from our days in Vietnam and when she finally went down early evening she still kept me hopping for a good hour until she was really out.

I could play 20 questions but I am pretty sure it is her teeth and I think there is a tooth on the bottom that is getting ready to make an appearance.

The night before we had a special dinner with our adoption group for a Mother's Day celebration. I was thrilled to finally bring my daughter to the dinner as I went often before my trip to Vietnam. We had a wonderful time seeing everyone and Lily was delightful and when it got close to bedtime she just snuggled up in the sling and cuddled her mama. She is my Lil Canuck!!

P.S. Someone brought me Lilacs today and the smell is the most sublime scent ever to cross my nose. It takes me back to days as a young girl living in Barrie, in the backyard of my childhood home. We had a couple of Lilac bushes. My mother loved them so much and would always hve them in the house. The scent reminds me so much of her and of a time that was pure and free that I wish there were flowers all year round.

A Great Milestone

What a beautiful night sleep for both of us. Lily slept through the night without any feeds, from 8:00pm until 7:30pm and it was heaven for me to get eight hours. Now, I did wake up a couple times anticipating her cries and at one point I had to go check on her to make sure she was OK and of course she was.

Went to the paediatrician this week and Lily checked out just fine. Her weight is now 14lbs 4oz so we have gained 1.5 lbs in the last four weeks. She is even starting to get a bit of a belly.

Here is Lily with her favourite hairy friend, Charlotte.

In her new highchair after spitting most of her food out.

Check out the rooster hair!

Loving early morning walks with me and Charlotte.

A special visitor came from St Catherines on Wed. to visit Lily.

Emma, my girlfriend's daughter has been anticipating Baby Lily for months now and could not wait to finally meet her. Emma followed the blog and journey to Vietnam every day and would always ask, "when is Baby Lily coming home?" It was a wonderful visit.

Leanne Coppen - RIP

I recently found out that Leanne Coppen passed away last week. Leanne was one of the three women profiled recently in Chatelaine magazine (along with me and another woman) in an article called Full Frontal Bravery.

I remember Leanne because about a year and a half ago I was asked if I would like to be a guest blogger on her blog for Chatelaine. I blogged about my reconstructive surgery I was going to have the very next day.

I did not read her blog often and I never met her personally but I always felt connected to her as a breast cancer survivor.

Leanne was an amazing writer and a courageous woman in that she shared her journey with so many readers. She brought a real life picture to what it was like as a young woman and mother to live with metastatic breast cancer. She peeled the layers back on cancer and helped so many people. Leanne was a beautiful, stylish, articulate young mother who left this world much too soon.

I want to express my condolences to her family and her close friends and let them know that I selected my over the top curse words and sent them out directly to "cancer" ...and then sent Leanne a great big smile.

For Leanne's blog entries please go to Chatelaine.com and then Living with Breast Cancer by Leanne Coppen.

New Mother = No New Posts

Yup, I have found it quite challenging to carve out time for emails, phone calls and my blog updates. Lily still has congestion and a running nose but she is no worse for it and is having great time despite her mama wiping her nose every 10 min.

Here are some past week activities that took place:

• While Auntie R watched over the sleeping Lily I went and got her OHIP card
• Made a peads appointment for Lily
• We took the subway for the first time to go see my family doctor
• Charlotte came home and we started going on morning walks for all our sanity
• Auntie G bought Lily an exersaucer after Lily test drove a few models (she loves it)
• Lily and I went to visit Marjorie and her son H - they just got back from Vietnam
• Still back and forth between cloth and disposable diapers - cloth are very big on Lily and give her a J-Lo butt
• Oma took us to purchase a highchair so I don't have to feed Lily in the stroller any longer (thanks OMA)
• Had a couple girlfriends come by for a visit with delicious food and some landscaping skills in my front yard (thanks Al, Sue and Jen)
• Thankful that Lily loves her crib and loves to sleep (at least for now)
• Did not have to referee the dog as Char has been positively spectacular with Lily
• Took Lily for a swim at the YMCA with her BFF Sam
• Need to find time to download new photos (stand by)

So with all of that I am feeling a little tired on this rainy Sunday but .....I am so happy and everyday she lights up my life even brighter than the day before. Her smile can melt a glacier and her disposition is so delightful. I can't believe how perfect our match has been.