Life on Lee Avenue

What She Wore : May 2012

Can you tell that vibrant colours are in for spring? You almost have to wear sunglasses to see those rainbow pants in person. Seriously. 

 Also, would you believe me if I told you that these are are just three out of the fourteen outfits my mom brought back from her vacation? It looks like someone is benefiting from being the first grandchild. Lucky us!

I love that Rowan's shining personality as well as her chubby cheeks and legs are on display in the middle photo! 

This month, all of Rowan's clothes are from Carter's.

Happy Wednesday!

6 months

It's official, my sweet Pickle is half a year old. I know I sound like a broken record, but where did the time go? I love that she is developing into her own person, but hate the fact that she is no longer a newborn baby curled up and sleeping on my chest.  Oh how soon I forgot the craziness of the first few weeks!

The past month has been very busy. Rowan-girl has laughed, developed two bottom teeth and learned to rollover from her back to her front! She has also tried many new foods including: oatmeal, peas, carrots, green beans, butternut squash, yogurt, bananas, apples, pears, black currants, and avocados. Although she loves so many foods, she is not a fan of sweet potatoes. She eats at structured meal times. This includes breakfast at 7:30 am, lunch at 11:30 am and dinner at 6:00pm. She will often have an afternoon snack around 2:30pm. Regardless of how fast I move or how organized I am, when Rowan is hunger, she hates to wait in the highchair. She is not what you would call "patience" at feeding times. What can I say, the girl likes to eat!

Right now, Rowan fits into size 3 diapers and 9 month clothes. In certain lights, her hair is blond, while other is red. Her eyes are blue. She weighs over 16 pounds and measures 26 inches in length. 

Pickle continues to love the exersaucer. She also enjoys a rolling over on the floor, chewing on her feet and banging her hands on any surface hard or soft. She enjoys a game Hidey-Peak with blanket and snuggles her stuffed lamb from Daddy. Her attention span is kinda of ridiculous. She loves books whether they are short or long. She has been also been eying up mama's iPhone!

As a mama and daughter, we get along pretty well. Everyday we have something planned. Monday we grocery shop; Tuesdays and Thursdays we go to the gym; Wednesday is Movies for Mommies while Friday is a free day at home. My maternity leave is rushing by so quickly. It helps that my days are packed with many fun things. I can't believe I was once overwhelmed wishing the hours to go by faster. I guess that's the difference between a new mom and one who has some experience under her belt.   

Rowan loves when Daddy comes home from work.  She always has the biggest smile on her face. Daddy plays "super baby" with Pickle which makes her scream and giggle. Rowan continues to be fascinated by Charlie and loves to pull on his tail and face. Charlie, in return, licks her face and tolerates the tail pulling. 

Sweet, sweet Rowan girl - I can't hardly remember life without you. You continue to bring much joy and happiness into our lives. I love who you are and who you are becoming. 

Thanks for looking!

Happy Wednesday!

The First Mother's Day

I'm not gonna lie - being spoiled for a day is pretty awesome. Like, I could get use to this, kinda of awesome. And the best part?  It wasn't even my birthday! 

Yes, my first mother's day was a memorable one. Flowers, sleep in, starbucks, a twenty minute shower and tickets to this Kathleen Edwards concert, all courtesy of Aaron and Rowan, have got this mama feelin' pretty loved and appreciated. Also pretty great? Spoiling my own mom and getting surprise text messages from my mama friends. Sometimes moms just know.  

What about you? Did you have a good Mother's Day?  

Happy Monday!

Decorative Clothesline

There are so many wonderful things about our 1930's house. The hardwood floors, the plaster modelings and the fact that it is located in the heart of The Beaches. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of our older home is that lack of storage space. For anyone who has a baby knows, as a first time parent, you receive many wonderful gifts. Clothes, toys, you name it, we have it. It's as if our lovely home has suddenly transformed into a children's shop overnight. 

Given that we have a lack of space and that we are undecided if we should have baby #2, we tend to donate  most of Rowan's clothes she has outgrown. With that said, there are a few pieces that I just can't bear to give up. Some of these pieces include: a pink newborn dress + purple tights, white hat and a multi-coloured sleeper.

So what's a nostaglic, space-lacking mama to do? Why, create a decorative clothesline in Rowan's room to display these much-loved but hardly-ever-woren items, of course!  

What you will need: 

• A blank wall 

• Hammer
• Pliers
• Picture wire or Craft hemp
• Tiny craft clothes pins
• Measuring tape
• Nails
• Scissors (not shown)
• Pencil (not shown)

• Outgrown baby clothes you love
• Decorative Elements (included here: a card from friends given to us at the time of Rowan's birth, a wooden letter R, decorative birds borrowed from another room in our house)

Assembly of clothesline: 

1. Measure length of wall and centre clothesline over 3/4 of it. Make sure to place it at eye level height.  

Our wall measured was 52 inches wide. This meant that the clothesline was 39 inches long with the nails placed, 6.5 inches in from the left and 6.5 inches from the right at eye level height.

Here's the math: (52/4=13) (13 x 3=39) (13/2= 6.5).

Your equation would look like (length of wall/4 = A) (A x 3 = length of clothesline) (A/2 = length in from the left and right side of wall // where to hammer in your nails.

2. Use pencil to mark out the placement of the nails. Hammer nails into the wall. 

3. Cut one long piece of picture wire or craft hemp using pliers or scissors to create clothes line. Tie one end of picture wire or craft hemp on one of the nails. Pull wire or hemp tight and wrap around second nail.  

4. Attach clothes and decorative elements on line using clothes pins. 

Repeat for a second line. Place second clothesline, 20 inches below than the first. 

The End Result:

I love it! It's cute, affordable and displays those items that I love but can't bear to give up or pack away. The best thing is I can update and change the items on the clothesline as Rowan develops. And if I don't love it in a few months, all I have to do is patch up some small holes in the wall. 

Thanks for looking!

Happy Thursday!

What She Wore : April 2012

   

(From left to right: Jeans and Top by Old Navy from a coworker; Pink and Grey Outfit by Carter's from Grammy; and Dress and Tights by Tea from Mama.)  

It's not the fact that she is rockin' the comb over or that she is wearing pink in two out of three pictures. It's the fact that these pictures were taken three weeks apart. Three weeks. April came and went and Rowan continues to grow like a weed. Last night I found a tooth. She grabbed my hand in the morning and stuck it in her mouth. I felt nothing but gums. By late afternoon, a small nubbin of tooth was poking through. I have said it before and I will say it again. Just before I know it, she will asking for the keys to the car or worse yet, planning a wedding. Love sigh.   

Happy Thursday!

Five Months

As you can tell, our little Pickle, is not so little anymore. At our last pediatrician's appointment Rowan-girl weighed 14.5 pounds and measured 24.5 inches. Although that was only a few weeks ago, she has most certainly grown. Currently, she is wearing size 3 diapers, which are made for babies over 16 pounds! She is solid as a rock.

It seems that Rowan is a baby who craves routines. For the most part, Rowan drinks four bottles a day: at breakfast, mid-morning, mid afternoon and dinner. This month, you may remember we introduced solid foods. She loves eating her cereal and will grab onto our hand that is holding the spoon. A very different story from those early days. I wish I could say she feels the same way about sitting in the high chair or car seat! There is definitely no love when it comes to being strapped in.... to anything, anywhere. anytime.

Rowan continues to be an "on-the-go baby". She loves her jolly jumper, but that affair is being challenged by the exersaucer. Although she loves standing on her feet, she doesn't mind studying those feet with great intensity. Whether she is lying down or sitting, we have caught Pickle on an occasion or two, trying to eat her big toes. When she is not trying to injest her little piggy's, she is holding them, along with her legs apart and screaming with delight. Again, we hope this behaviour stops before she enters college! As you can tell from the picture above, Rowan-girl loves to stick out her tongue. You may also recall this picture too. Oh and did I mention the drool? Rowan-girl is definietly working on some teeth!

Bring on month 5!

Happy Monday!

A quick question...

Am I the kinda of mama who would post a ridiciously cute picture of her baby dressed up as a bunny on her blog? 

....Why yes, yes I am. 

Happy Easter / Passover / long weekend with your families!

The First Time You Ate Solid Food

   

 

During our most recent visit to the pedicitrician, Rowan's doctor recommended that we start feeding her solid foods. To Aaron and I, this came as no surprise. Pickle has been eyeing up our meals for the last month and a half. Seriously, the girl reaches out for everything, including pieces of my steak! When we got the green light, we were prepared: 

• High chair assembled. Check. 
• Cute bowl and rubber spoon cleaned. Check. 
• Rice cereal measured. Check. 

Cue happy baby eating mushy cereal.   

As you can see from the photos above, the expereince didn't go as "planned". In fact, had you witnessed this "momentous" event last Monday night, you would have seen anything but a joyful baby consuming her dinner. You would have seen Rowan-girl sitting happily in the high chair for approximately 2.7 seconds. You would have seen me turn into a raging Mamarazzi.  You would have seen two eager parents jumping around, trying to convinece a 4 month old that the strange, new texture in her mouth was delicious and good for her. 

I'm sure it was a fluke. Pickle just didn't get the memo. Smirk.  

A week into feeding her solids, we are doing okay. Rowan is not freaking out or crying in the highchair and we are slowly picking up on her feeding cues. We have had some "mmm" sounds and smiles. Our spoon to open mouth coordination is comical at best. Good thing babies are supposed to get food all over their faces. right !?! 

To all the mamas out there, have you heard of Baby Lead Weaning? Have you tried it? If so, how did it go?

Happy Monday!

Belly to Baby Photo Book

Last week, this lovely 10 x 10 photo book arrived in the mail. Swoon!  

Last year, we sat for two portrait sessions at our favourite family photographer: one when I was seven months pregnant and the second, ten days after Rowan was born. The result? A stunning little book, styled like the Steve Jobs Biography, that captures the impending excitiment and newness of my wee family. Seriously, it's a good thing we took this pictures because Lord knows that the last six months have been a bit of a blur!

Fun Fact #1: Aaron is holding the first ultrasound picture of Rowan. The book behind him is a leather bound journal we bought on a trip in Tuscany a few years ago. Aaron is writing notes to Rowan-girl, attempting to impart some wisdom as she moves through different ages and stages of life. He has a few entries, including a letter to Rowan he wrote on the night she was born. Double Swoon! 

Fun Fact #2: I didn't know that Rowan was a girl. Trina, the photographer, loved the colour of my tank top and decided to light the background in the same tone. She's genius....I love that the book has this amazing pop of colour! 

Fun Fact #3: Trina, the asked us to bring some special or unique items that would define our pregnancy experience. The biggest thing we took was our dog, Charlie. Aaron and I often joked that when we moved to our east end neighbourhood of Toronto, the trendy thing to do was have a baby AND a dog. Charlie is our first fur child. He is apart of our family and I am delighted we could include him in the photo sessions and this book. 

Aaron and I are so please to have these images as part of our family library. We totally intend to go back on a yearly basis to have our family photo taken. For anyone pregnant and not sure about taking belly shots - do it! Totally worth capturing the experience especially when the next few months move forward at record speeds. 

Thanks for looking!

Happy Wednesday!

What She Wore : March 2012

   

When I became pregnant, I didn't know how much I would love having a girl and how much fun it would be to dress her. The first time I put Rowan-girl in an "outfit", my heart skipped a beat. I felt like I was suddenly 8 years old, playing dress up with my dolls. Fast forward 20 + years later and my inner child is happy and content.   

From left to right the clothes include: a yellow outfit by Joe Fresh from Mama; Pink outfit by La compagne des petits from Mahsa; Purple outfit from Babysoy from Mama; Blue outfit from Carter's from Auntie Megan. All clothing is sized 6 months and shows off Rowan-girl rollie pollie legs. I can't wait for summer and to see the 14 outfits that Grandma Forster has purchased for Pickle!

Happy Tuesday!