Canadian Moms & Moms to be!

[Tiff]

Yeah, our YMCA is really dated here. Not going to lie, I'm confused. I always thought that the Y was supposed to be the "poor" people's place? Okay, okay I know that sounds really bad and I do NOT mean it like that, but that it was supposed to be the cheaper alternative so everyone gets a shot at recreation?

The rec centre is brand new though, so has state of the art everything. I'm going to look into doing swimming for Claire this summer, just have to see when registration starts. I think sometime in March.

Oh! Was talking to my Mom yesterday and she was telling me how their dishwasher bit the dust. They're now going to replace all their appliances because my Mom wants stainless steel. Their fridge is new-ish and pretty decent (has the freezer underneath the fridge part that rolls out like a drawer) and I was saying to her she could probably get decent money for it on Kijiji. Then I lamented that I couldn't buy it because it really is quite nice.

So she calls back a bit later and says that they're going to give us the fridge! Super happy about that. You know you're getting old when a gift of a fridge (even second hand) is something to be super happy about!

 

[Vickie]

I figured Hamilton would also have a high demand since it's not *that* far from TO?

Someone suggested I join the Y here but honestly the community Centre is just so much more convenient for me. And as I said earlier we're extremely lucky that the one that's easiest for me to reach is a good one


yucky rainy day here today, glad Hannah has a class this morning

 

[Vickie]

yay for a new fridge Tiff!

 

[Sarahkka]

Tasha - there are all sorts of early music programs that help lay a foundation for different types of music:
Kodaly - focuses on using the voice to train the ear
Orff - more rhythm and percussion-oriented
Suzuki - another big focus on ear training, but applies to specific instruments - started as a method for strings
Any of those would be beneficial to Elyse at this age.
Simon and Tobe are in a "Music with your Baby" sibling class that is Kodaly-based. It's And Simon is starting his first un-parented class of Kodaly Prep in Feb. God help that teacher.

 

[Sarahkka]

Tiff - nice news on the fridge!
That was really nice of your mum!

So....
I think I have figured out all the mysterious symptoms floating around our house!
Yesterday Simon had weird blotchy pattterns and little bumps all over his hands and feet. Anyone want to guess?
Yup. I am now putting my money on Hand, Foot, and Mouth or Coxsckie virus.
So from what I read, I think Tobe had it first (the canker sore was a mouth lesion) and his manifested as more of an upper respiratory cold. I guess this is one of hte common forms of the many many versions of this virus.
Simon has the version that includes lower energy and appetite, diarrhea, and the classic rash pattern.
It is described as "mild and self-limiting", so I will keep them home the rest of the week and if they don't seem significantly better by Monday, I will go and have them checked out by the doc. I'm pretty sure that coxsackie is the culprit, though.
And meanwhile, I guess I dropped a few virus bombs on the rest of the population this week.

 

[Tiff]

Sarah!!! I hope your boys feel better soon.

 

[readynwilling]

yay for the fridge Tiff!

Hope simon is better soon Sarah!

J was playing with my reusable straw cup (think starbucks) (she loves to drink from straws...) and she was making a mess with the water LOL so i grabbed her sippy cup with a straw and put some ready to use good start in it... not warmed up. she started to take sips!! just a few sips...but a step in the right direction.. i had not offered formula in a while!

 

[Sarahkka]

Thanks for all the well wishes, everyone!
I almost feel a little guilty complaining at all as this is pretty mild as childhood ailments go. Now that I think I've figured it out, I'm not concerned anymore.
And honestly?
They've been a little grouchy and under-the-weather, but this is nowhere near as bad as a nasty cold or a real gastro bug. Mild and self-limiting about describes it. If Simon hadn't broken out in the rash, I would never have known that this was most likely coxsackie and not just a mild cold and/or a tummy bug.
The only symptom that doesn't fit the coxsackie checklist is the sporadic puking.

Oh, had to share:
Simon woke up before me, went out to his little kitchen and made me "toast" in bed!
I was carefully served a little wooden plate with a little wooden toast and wooden pat of butter, slid right beside my face on the bed. Nice way to wake up!

 

[apple84]

Aww Simon

 

[ryder]

awww simon is adorable!

 

[tasha41]

Simon!! I'm glad it looks like you know what you're dealing with now, Sarah. Hopefully it passes quickly!

Sara- way to go J! Sippy cups with straws were a big hit here, I got some of those Take N Toss ones? I know I bought mine in the States but I'm pretty sure I've seen them up here too recently.

Tiff- yay for the new fridge! I'd be pretty excited about it too... I love appliances haha.

Amanda-- how are you feeling today??



& Sarah thanks for the music help too. I did find an Orff program in Hamilton for 3-5 year olds, in 3 different levels. Since music is Andrew's thing, I am leaving it up to him to gather more information about it and decide if he thinks it's a good idea.

 

[apple84]

Amanda-- how are you feeling today?? :hugs

Blah. I burst into tears at my OB appointment which is really not like me. My induction has been booked for Jan 24th, but I am hoping to go into labour on my own before that. I could use some serious labour dust over the next 12 days. Oh and I'm measuring 45 weeks now ... no wonder I feel like crap and my stomach is covered in stretchmarks (after getting zero with Andrew)

 

[readynwilling]

and Amanda!

 

[tasha41]

Amanda. Lots of labour dust to you then.. I know it'll be tough these last days but sooo worth it.. and honestly, well done getting so far And don't worry about crying at the appointment, I'm sure they have seen it all before.. and what you're doing and preparing for is no easy feat, not physically, not emotionally, not mentally.. so don't feel bad about a few tears !

 

[Vickie]

Amanda, fingers crossed you go into labor soon

 

[Sarahkka]

Amanda, it's my birthday tomorrow - have them then!
All kidding aside, you are a superhero, my dear! A few tears?
If I were pregnant with twins, I can assure you that by this point, I would have been arrested for assaulting some poor innocent stranger who got in my way at the grocery store, or something like that. I find I have a bit of a short fuse when pregnant...

If you have them at the induction, they'll be Year of the Dragon babies!

 

[Sarahkka]

So, I went into a bit of a cleaning frenzy today as I'm trying to have a quiet day at home to let the boys get healthy and reduce the spread of germs.
I decided to move a few heavier pieces of furniture to have a good clean behind them. One of the bookcases is against the dividing wall between the kitchen and the living/dining room. It is pretty much right opposite the kitchen sink, which is badly caulked and very old and lets a lot of water behind the counter. So I go to move the shelf and feel a lot of resistance. I thought it was somehow stuck to the other bookcase, so I gave it a little shove and heard a really bad sound. Like a sort of ripping, splintering sound.
I looked behind the bookcase and a piece of the wall had ripped out with the bookcase.
The wall was dry to the touch, but was all swelled out so that it was not only touching the bookcase all the way over the baseboard, but had actually stuck itself to the back of the bookshelf.
So my fabulous cleaning job has now created a gigantic mess to deal with.

I think we're getting very ready to move out of this old house. We're planning to be here one more year, so that we can finish paying off our car, and then we are hoping to find something else in our neighbourhood.
Prices have come down considerably in our city and it looks like they'll continue to do so. We are planning to look at lots of houses this year and get educated about buying, but if we don't find something suitable, we'll just rent. But a whole house this time. With a dishwasher. If it doesn't have a dishwasher, I am going to .

 

[tasha41]

LOL Sarah at the dishwasher part--- we lived over a year here with no dishwasher, and it was hell DEFINITELY a must-have in any future houses we shop for haha.

Sorry your good intentions with cleaning led to a bigger mess

 

[apple84]

Oh I'd be pissed if my wall attached to a bookcase!?! That is so weird and a mess to clean up too I bet.

I hope you can find a living situation that's better. And I couldn't live without a dishwasher. You deserve one!

 

[ryder]

Right now is a good time to buy Sarah... the interest rates are quite low and have been since the summer. But if the economy changes interest rates will shoot back up again. And they are projected to go up in the near future.

It is good to get pre-approval to lock you in at a rate... usually they will do 3 month pre-approvals. We just keep renewing ours at the end of 3 months, weve had one since the beginning of last summer and the rate is 3.2%