The Naked Truth

So this is going to sound like an odd little string of thoughts, but I just needed to put it out there, especially for boy mamas, and get some feedback. 

Until this point I have never given a second thought to undressing in front of Lucas, he often accompanies me to the bathroom, and we sometimes still take a bath together.  The bath time scenario started very early on when Lucas was not a fan of bathing, and at the suggestion of a friend of mine I took him in the bath tub with me and presto kid started liking his bath time routine.  Obviously during the day its hard to sneak to the bathroom alone, and I'm not a fan of sticking him in his crib and having him fuss so I can relieve myself, so I let him roam around and sometimes he sticks right by my side (yeah its fun!). 

Lately, with Lucas' increased curiosity, and need to look and touch everything, I have been wondering if I should start to curb the nudity in front of him.  Obviously a lot of moms are still breastfeeding at his point in their children's lives, and deep down I am fully aware that he will not remember any of this in the future; but this is a whole new frontier for me, and I'm not really sure how to approach it, or when to say close the door.  Growing up with only sisters, this was really a non issue for me, and with my youngest sister (who was my test baby lol) I used to wash with her all the time, and change in front of her no problem.  I have never had to deal with this before.

I know that this may sound a little premature, as I mentioned he is still too young to remember anything, and dressing in front of him is not leaving any mental scars, or any images that may plague his adolescent mind will long be forgotten.  I guess, if I'm being truthful I have to answer the question does it bother me, and the answer is no.  I have no problem skirting the nudity issue at least for another year, and then I guess if he starts saying something or asking questions that will be my cue to finally close the door.

Five on Friday

I'm starting to link up on Friday with Darci at The good Life.  I like the randomness that this post allows, and to link with other mamas alike.  So here it goes.

 

{one} After stressing over Lucas' inability to digest dairy products such as yogurt or cheese it looks like we have finally turned a corner.  We started off with introducing again drinkable yogurts at the end June and so far its been great.  We are using Iogo which the Canadian Parenting Magazine rated one of the top products for families this year, and I have to agree that the texture and taste is appealing, and Lucas seems to like it.  We sometimes add smoothies to the yogurt for an afternoon snack.  Also Lucas seems to be digesting cheese just fine now as well.  I'm not going to lie this makes me slightly euphoric, since the Hubby and I are huge cheese lovers, and we can't wait to share that with Lucas, and the worry that he may be experiencing early signs of lactose intolerance was a little disheartening. 

{two} We are off to the Toronto Zoo this weekend on a family double date with my sister, brother-in-law and my amazing niece.  I am so looking forward to it, especially since Lucas loves animals, namely  lions.  Also there is water/splash pad that they have recently added which will be a great break if the weather proves to be on the warmer side.  I'm curious to see how the day will pan out since Lucas is not a huge fan of extended periods of time in the stroller, and I'm actually hoping that the fact that he is walking will make things a little easier.  I will have to update you all on how it goes.

 

{three} Lucas is cutting his eye teeth, and this is hardest time he has had teething.  His appetite is severely off, and if you know Lucas the little guy enjoys his food, so we have been sticking to whatever makes him happy in that department, even if that means fishies and jello for lunch.  It hasn't been affecting his night sleep too much which is a godsend, but his naps have been touch and go.  The oddest side effect when Lucas is teething is his penchant for biting me.  Obviously when teething Lucas is always gnawing on something, but he has this propensity to bite me, and I have tried to be forceful in letting him know that its not ok, and sometimes I get through to him and other times I end up with a bruise.  I hope this is just a phase.

 

{four} Yesterday I had the most awful 24 hour stomach flu, I haven't been that sick since I was pregnant, and no I'm not pregnant!  I am known in my family for always being sick, since I have the weakest immune system ever, but since having Lucas I actually haven't gotten sick once!  I actually went through this whole unpredictable winter weather without so much as a mild sniffle, I'm telling that is record for me.  Let me tell you being sick and having an energetic child to run after is no joke, and I was feeling like death my 12 yesterday, so I'm eternally grateful for my husband being so worried about me that he sent over his parents to come and help with Lucas, and I got mommied a little myself thanks to mother-in-law.  I seriously don't know how the day would have panned out otherwise, since I was feeling pretty weak from not being able to keep anything down.  Cutest side note though, during the morning I often had to run to the bathroom, and my little man, though he was understandably freaked out by me getting sick, would come stand at the door way of the bathroom and keep vigil on me, and even throughout the day, he would sometimes come up to me or look at me just to make sure I was there.  Love that little guy, best medicine ever.

 

{five} Lucas is officially sleeping later, his usual morning wake up now is 6:30-7 and this mama is just a tad excited about it.  Doesn't sound like much, but when you are use to a really early riser, 15 minutes to half an hour is a big deal in this house!

 

Here's hoping my flu doesn't make a repeat performance this weekend!



July Book Review

To say I am an avid reader is kind of understatement.  Even during those first foggy months of motherhood, my mommy time usually consisted of holing myself in my room or laying on the couch and reading while the little guy slept beside me.  Its my refuge, and its something I love to do entirely for myself. 

Nothing beats opening a new book, and smelling that new book smell and passing my fingers along uncurled pages.  Even library books, as odd as it sounds, have this distinctive smell, like you know that this story has been passed onto many hands that have enjoyed (or maybe not), and revelled in the words on the page.  Obsessed much, yup that's me.

I used to be able to read a book in a few days, obviously motherhood makes that feat a little impossible sometimes, but I have found my groove, and I am reading about 3 to 4 books a month.  I like a variety of genres, historical fiction being one of my favourites, as it collaborates both my loves for history and storytelling.  So I thought I would every month give a short rundown of the books I have encountered, and all titles will be linked to the Indigo website if any of them pique your interest.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I was drawn to this teen novel since I had seen the trailer for the upcoming movie, and I always love to read the novels beforehand.  It is a teen lit novel that for a woman in her thirties can only be construed as cheesy, and often predictably transparent.  I am a huge lover of books about supernatural beings, but this one had a hard time grabbing my attention, and even though this is actually the first in a series, I finished it without the urge to go get the rest and find out what happens to the characters.  Sadly the movie was just as disappointing.

Inferno by Dan Brown

I have been in love with Dan Brown's novels since someone suggested I read his Da Vinci Code.  This sort of conspiracy novel rooted in history is right up my alley, and I revel in how all incidents lead to a greater truth or conclusion.  I have to say that I had become a bit of a savant with his work, and was starting to be able to decode the finale of his novels before I reached the climax of the story.  This didn't take away from the story, but it did put a damper on the whole experience.  Well I'm glad to say that he finally tripped me up again, and he kept me guessing right till the last page, making this a far more enjoyable read, and completely living up to my highly anticipated feelings.  The story is set largely in Florence and Venice, and it made me want to visit Italy with a passion.  I think I need to start a vacation fund for Gianni and I to make a long European second honeymoon for our tenth anniversary, this way I have plenty of time to make that dream happen.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

This was also on my list this month cause I wanted to see the movie.  I devoured the Twilight series when it first came out, but for some reason never gravitated to her other novel cause the jacket description never quite caught my attention.  When I saw the trailer for the movie I thought maybe it would be alright.  I'm happy to say that although the movie was horrible, I actually rather enjoyed the novel.  It borders on cheesy, but I kind of appreciate the underlying message, that people are often quick to judge one another, and we don't make enough of an effort or time to just get to know each other, as we are all very often guilty of grouping people by association. 

I would love to hear other reader suggestions. I'm always looking for new writers.

Wordless Wednesday - Bowties and Party Animal

This past Saturday we attended the wedding of a family friend.  I loved the woodsy feel to the ceremony and reception (even if the mosquitoes loved me back a little too much that evening!).  Best part though was getting the chance to get all gussied up, and dress up my little guy.  Who says you can't have fun with little boys, I mean tell me that this sort of cuteness is not to die for!

 



 

Dude was not feeling it before we left for the wedding, unfortunately we had to wake him from a deep nap to get ready, and he was not too fond of getting all dressed up.  He was a champ though throughout the evening, not once touching his bowtie or trying to pull it off.  I guess he was loving all the attention he was getting.

 



 

 We took advantage of the beautiful set up for the altar to take some family photos.

 

 

 

Appropriate use of the LOVE for my boys here.

 

 

 As long as Lucas was given free reign to roam around he was a happy camper.  The fact that he is extremely mobile is actually a blessing since its a little easier to keep him entertained at functions.

 

 I'm probably not winning any mommy awards with this one, but I'm not sure I know any European father who doesn't love to dole out a little beer ever so often to their little ones, and boy has Lucas taken a liking to it...I'm pretty sure he threw a tantrum after this sip when we said he couldn't have any more.

 Lucas loves his nonni, and they were very helpful with keeping Lucas entertained that night, especially since he seemed to have boundless energy that evening.

 

 The beautiful bride and groom, love the colour scheme to this wedding.

 

 Just because you have to change into pajamas, doesn't mean you can't keep it classy at a wedding!  Although my sister-in-law was kind of jealous that Lucas got to change into sweat pants lol.

 

 So that boundless energy I was talking about, yup, here's the little guy still going strong at 10pm, a good 2 hours after his bedtime.  Shortly after this he started to finally show signs of crankiness and tiredness, so we left for the evening, and he was out before we hit the end of the street.

 

 

 

Overall I have to say this was a great experience, it showed us that Lucas is not really a baby anymore, and that he can stray from a rigid bedtime if need be, which is great since we are fast approaching a busy birthday and holiday season, so I'm grateful to know that he will love partying it up with the family!



 

Vacationing in my mind

 

I'm in need of a family vacation, but with things being crazy for the next couple of months, along with the hubby and I still saving up for that elusive vacation, I don't see it happening right now.  It kind of makes me sad, especially since we haven't been on a big trip since our honeymoon!  However, I know that its the smartest thing right now to put it off till the end of the year, if not the beginning of next year.

That being said, I can still imagine tons of vacation scenarios, and today, I'm feeling a little nostalgic and homesick for the motherland...Portugal!

I lived in the small town in Northern Portugal, Moncao, where my father is originally from, for about 8 years (when I was 9 until about 17), and I loved the whole experience.  The first year was the toughest, since my sisters and I had never learned the language until that point, and we were completely thrown in and immersed into the culture.  In retrospect it was the best way to learn a new language quickly, and effectively, even though I never fully lost my accent, and people could spot from a mile away that Portuguese was not my first language.  Some of my favourite family memories still stem from the time we lived abroad, the long drives we took together and picnicked on remote beaches, to huge family gatherings where food and wine were always in abundance. 

Unfortunately I have not returned for a visit since the family decided to move back to Canada, and it is a dream of mine to vacation there, and do one big family trip, especially to show the hubby and the little guy a place that will always have a dear place in my heart, and shaped a lot of the person I am today.  I feel very fortunate to have lived a different type of lifestyle from Canada, where going to dinner at 10:30 was considered the norm; where people knew not only who you were but most likely your entire family; where life was simpler, going to the farmers market was a daily occurrence, and play dates were adventures in long grassed fields and vineyards. 

So until I can afford to take my family back and experience everything I love about the country that shaped my adolescence, I will visit often those corners in my mind for the memories that make me laugh, smile, and sometimes cry just a little for times past.

 

Week in Photos (31/52)

 



I have to admit this age that Lucas is at is exhausting, and I'm sure more so than most children since mine has stumbled into the phase of discovery, along with his acute mobility skills, at a very early age.  That being said, this tired mama goes to bed with a huge smile on her face, and can't help but love all the new things that Lucas does everyday.  Often, Gianni and I look at the pictures I take during the day before going to sleep, and I regale him with stories of what sort of mischief Lucas got into that particular day (if you didn't notice the state of my book shelf in the above picture, check it out, and you will soon realize what sort of things he's capable of lately). 

On top of all these new phases, and discoveries, we have seen such a difference in Lucas' personality lately.  He understands much more what we say to him, and he is actually starting to respond to things as well, even playful games his father and I engage him in.  A prime example is Lucas tends to sweat a lot from his feet (I should really start investing in everything I will need to air out this kids sports equipment for the future), so we play this game when we take his shoes off of smelly feet.  Its simple really, we smell his feet and over exaggerate the extent of its stinkiness, and the kid finds our reactions hilarious.  However, we now notice that if we ask him, or tell him we are going to check his stinky feet, he will actually give us his feet!  This may seem a little trivial for any bystander, but as his parents its a proud moment, as it shows that he knows what his FEET are!

We went to dinner earlier this week, and this kid is such a charmer, always laying on the smiles for the waitresses, and they in turn were enthralled by him.  Seriously, I'm pretty sure we get better service when we go out to dinner with the little guy. 

We attended our first wedding with Lucas, and boy do I have adorable picture of the little man to share with you all. 

Hope all my fellow Canadians are enjoying the long weekend! 

Wordless Wednesday - Avengers Unite

I am currently in the throes of planning Lucas' Birthday party, some might think that a month and a half shows a bit of the over achiever in me, but those who know me know this is pretty standard procedure.

We decided long ago that we wanted to do something along the lines of superhero, cause we have always referred to little man as such, and have decked him out in everything from batman to spiderman themed outfits since he was born.  We narrowed it down to the Avengers cause otherwise it could get a little nuts with superheroes being the in thing right now. 

I have to say that being a boy mom I have embraced all things BOY, and I'm actually pretty excited to put this party together.  I'm already making a first run trip to the party store this week, since they are having a sale on Avenger themed party supplies, and I'm going with a budget in mind or else this mama might go a little crazy. I have been scouring the internet for themed food, and printables as well, and I already started a box of DIYs that I'm planning for the party, I will be sure to blog them closer to the party date.

We decided to have the party at home, since we are limiting the guest list to family and very close friends.  I'm trying to research games, and maybe renting a bouncy castle, anyone have any ideas for me on that front.