S's Birthday

I am exhausted.  I want to post to document the day....but it's almost ten pm and I haven't stopped today.

I woke Scarlett up at 6am so that we would be on track for the day.  She went down for her first nap right on schedule at 8, and I woke her at 9 so she would be ready for her next nap by 1 and ready for her 3pm party.  My perfect little sleeper WOULD NOT NAP IN THE AFTERNOON.  At 2pm I took her down to the party room where my parents were setting up the room - and they did an amazing job...I am so lucky to have their help - I took Scarlett back upstairs to get ready for the party and she was ready to crash.  So at 2:30 my baby had her nap and was late to her 3pm birthday party.  I woke her at 3:15 and had her at the party by 3:30.

The party was a success.  I have a friend who took professional pictures, so I have very little to post from today - just a few shots friends took with my camera.

The best part was the cake.  My mom made banana chocolate chip muffins with chocolate icing.  Scarlett did exactly as she should have with hers.  She picked it up and shoved the whole thing into her mouth.  We ended up sharing the cake and she was a disaster!!!  There was chocolate all over her...it was soooo cute.

It was so nice to have my friends and family around to celebrate with me.  I haven't opened the gifts yet, but just peeking inside, everyone was so generous.

And then, Scarlett would not go down tonight - so much excitement from the day I guess.  At 8:30 I took her out of her crib and made us both a sweet potato.  I guess she was just hungry - dinner was leftovers from the party for her - pita and humus and fruit for dessert was her dinner.  After she ate she went right to sleep.  The only problem is that we have another very long day tomorrow and I need to wake her no later than 6:30am.  We have daycare in the morning for an hour and then the pediatrician in the afternoon - she is going to be a disaster at that appointment b/c it's during her naptime and she's getting her shots.

Okay, I'll post more when I have pics to share and more energy - I really wanted some time to just reflect on our year together.

Happy birthday to my beautiful baby.

SR is turning one!!!

Tomorrow is Scarlett's first birthday.  I can't believe how fast this year has gone by.  To think that I expected to be bored while on maternity leave.  I am a teacher, so there is no way that I will be stimulated watching a baby sleep, eat, play.  If anything I became the student.  It is absolutely the most fascinating thing watching a baby learn new things each day.  She has taught me patience and to try new foods.  A year ago I had never tasted avocado, mango, kiwi, lentils....I'm sure I could go on.  She has taught my parents what these foods look like.  Like the time I asked my dad to pick me up an avocado for Scarlett.  I was over at their house and I asked him where the avocado was.  He directed me to the fruit basket and there I found a mango.  I turned to him and said, "Dad, what's this?" and he said, "It's your avocado."

Tomorrow I am throwing Scarlett a birthday party.  All of our friends are coming to play and eat with us.  I need to wake Scarlett at 6am to make sure she has naps on time so that she is ready for the 3pm start of the party.  This means I have to wake up at 6am.  Plus, I am not finished preparing all of the food -- even though my parents have helped me so much to purchase and make and bring several trips of stuff over to my place.  Then we have to take it all down to the party room throughout the day tomorrow...and then back up at the end of the party.  It is going to be a long day.

I've been really emotional this week.  There is a lot going on.  I am heading back to work.  Scarlett is starting daycare and I'm very anxious about it.  She makes strange with people she doesn't know.  I never worry about leaving her with my parents for extended periods of time...b/c I know she's happy.  But leaving her at daycare is going to be rough.

I will blog more tomorrow and attach a picture or two.  I can't believe my baby is a year.

A very emotional program

My baby Scarlett is really growing up!  She's been making strange for so long now that it's amazing to watch her growing out of it.  We went to our usual Thursday afternoon program that Scarlett LOVES.  It's called "Singable Stories" and it's a half hour of singing songs and reading books and parachute activities.  Today I realized that my mat leave is coming to an end.  There were several new moms and babies there today just starting their journey of the Ontario Early Years programs (free programming offered all over Ontario in different locations offering a wide variety of programs for all ages to age 6) while we are closing that door as I return to work in January.

Scarlett loves these programs.  She loves sitting quietly and smiling through all of the songs.  She has her favourites but she really just beams from ear to ear through the whole program.  There are often babies who crawl around the room and really are mostly interested in their new found freedom.  Scarlett has always stayed right by me...a combination of making strange and wanting to be with me, she didn't know how to crawl, and just really likes the songs.  Today she crawled right up to the instructor and sat and engaged with her through the entire class - if you look at the picture it doesn't look like there is anyone else in the room, but it was a full class.

During "Old McDonald" she kept looking back at me for the different animals - checking to see if I was still there, but also to look for the "sign" of each animal - I am always signing to Scarlett.  She was very cute and the other moms were enjoying her smiles.  And I was beaming from ear to ear - but at the same time I felt like she was miles away from me.  I kept thinking that "she is going to be enjoying circle time and programs at daycare and I won't be there to enjoy it with her."  And that's all part of growing up.  I'm a teacher!  I enjoy programs with other people's children.  But I want to watch Scarlett's reaction to all of the new things she will experience.

Are any of you out there fans of the Philip Pullman Trilogy, "His Dark Materials"?  I felt like Scarlett is like my Daemon in those books - she is attached to me by an invisible connection, and if she gets too far away  I feel the connection tightening and straining.  Now I can relate to those stories on a whole new level.

And part of being a good parent is letting her go and find herself and take risks and succeed and fail.  I'm just to be there as her constant, her support.  But in the meantime, I have one more month of enjoying every second of her day before I head back into work.