Nicholas turns 2!

What a great birthday party we had, even though it was a day early! We were a little rushed, having spent the night across the border with our friends and getting home just in time for Patrick’s parents to arrive, eat lunch, bake a cake, and tidy up before everyone arrived – Mathias and his family joined us for dinner before the rest of the invitees arrived for 7pm. What a whirlwind day! Nicholas only slept for an hour in the car on the drive home, so I was worried that he would have a tough time with all the excitement tonight. No problem! He really loves being in a crowd and was an absolute firecracker until he went to bed at 9:30.

The kids that were here tonight are all so wonderful with him … he really lights up when he sees them!

Patrick made a delicious carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Nicholas finished his plate of cake and ice cream (without making much of a mess), pushed it away and said “all done” but then asked for “mas cake” (more cake). I gave him a piece, but he wasn’t happy yet. “Cut it,” he said, “cut it … please.” How cute! So, I did cut it into little pieces, but he pushed away the plate and announced, again, “all done” before he ate any.  It turns out that “more cake” meant “more ice cream” and he was a little annoyed with me.  Oh well, on to opening the presents!

What a perfect little gentleman!  As he opened each present and oohed and aahed over the contents, he said “thank you” and gave kisses and hugs to the giver of the gift.  Again, super cute!  His manners are wonderful and help endear him to everyone.

Bedtime came without fuss and he’s had a riot playing with all his new toys, especially dressing up in his bombero outfit (complete with squirting fire extinguisher)!

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Christmas 2007

We had a wonderfully hectic Christmas as it was our turn to host. For future reference, a larger home would be more helpful. We managed, though, to have 14 on Christmas Eve afternoon, 8 to stay the night, and 10 on Christmas Day! As much as I was loathe to use them, the paper plates sure helped with cleanup – not having a dishwasher really made for extra work! And somehow we managed with only one bathroom!

Nicholas went around pointing at everyone and saying their names – Tia for Trish, Mah for Mark, Oh-ah for Dakota, Gama for Grandma, and Boppa for Grandpa … Jen was too hard still, though. He was also really clingy, crying and screaming “maaa-maaa” even when he could see me in the kitchen (the wall is only waist-high). He was fine if he was in the same room with me, but I couldn’t wash dishes and keep him out of the garbage and cupboards at the same time, so I had to rely on others to distract him while I did some kitchen duty.

He was spoiled rotten, as all little kids should be, with some fantastic gifts. I can’t list them all, but there were clothes, books, and an assortment of toys. We didn’t end up giving him all the toys we had for him, because we realized there were just too many. We’re going to hold on to some and bring them out in a month or so, at the same time we purge some of the “younger” ones.

He was fascinated by the Christmas Tree, with the flickering lights and ornaments. He especially liked the single Christmas Ball I put up (I carefully picked through the ornaments and chose only non-breakable ones). In fact, the last thing he muttered while falling asleep was “mith-math”, so clearly his last thought of the day was of the tree. How sweet!

I was spoiled with fantastic birthday gifts again this year, and lucky to have so many people to share the day with. The house became very quiet once everyone had returned home – it always does, doesn’t it?! I’m not a big fan of the time between Christmas and New Year’s because I feel so disappointed that it’s all over. We still had one night to use up at the Westin Grand from the package we won earlier in the year, so we booked it and had a “family weekend” downtown. What fun! We had dinner at the Thai House Restaurant – Nicholas did NOT like the spicy Thai dishes we offered him, but LOVED the chicken satay! He fell asleep in our bed, as is normal, but was then transferred to the crib in the next room where he slept the rest of the night. I woke up around 4am and heard him talking quietly to himself and playing with his night-light (his favourite stocking stuffer) – I was so proud of him! Obviously he went back to sleep because we didn’t hear from him again until 8am. A good rest was had by all.

The next morning we headed over to the Sutton Place for their fantastic Sunday Brunch, not stopping to consider that it might be a special type of holiday brunch. The spread was amazing – definitely more options than usual – but we were shocked when we got the bill … $104! Thank goodness we had the “2 for 1” card that cut it in half … still it was more than we’re used to spending ($39), but totally worth it – Merry Christmas to us! We had a blast with Nicholas – he was super playful with the huge table next to us and they loved it! It is so much fun having a playful child!

Hmm … just realized that I forgot to mention when we turned his car seat around earlier this month. He’s now forward-facing, which means that either one of us can drive now. I keep forgetting that and do most of the driving still, but it’s nice to have the option. Nicholas didn’t care that he was facing backwards, but his legs were a little too long, especially with boots on, so we decided to finally turn him around.

Oh, and he learned a new sign yesterday … help … because he couldn’t take the lid off the drum and desperately wanted to get at his drumsticks!  That’s 22 signs now – smart little guy!

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Lots to catch up on

I am miserably behind on my blog (happens from time to time, doesn’t it?!) so I’m going to do one good long catch-up post … uh-oh, apparently later – he’s just woken suddenly and doesn’t sound very happy about it! OK, I’m back …

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Aug 28 – What a night! I worked until 2am and then was woken up at 4am by a very hot little boy with a temperature of 37.4C. Nothing to get too alarmed about, but I then spent the next hour and a bit nursing him. He was hot all day, with very little appetite and nursing constantly, and then hit 39 C the next night. Tylenol only worked a little bit (1 degree). We visited our family doctor who said it was just a virus (ears and throat looked fine) and to check back if he still has the fever after 2 days.

Aug 29 – The fever is gone, but a mild rash has developed on his torso – classic Roseola. Our friends from Calgary arrived for a visit – we’ve got a houseful with 4 adults and 4 kids!

Aug 30 – Patrick noticed that Nicholas has his seventh tooth coming through – his 1st molar on the bottom left. The tooth has come through very quickly because now the whole top surface is showing, not just the four points. On that same day, he tried to sign “mummy” for the first time – he didn’t quite get his hand to his chin, but he was quite clearly making the effort. He also signed “lechita” (milk) for the first time, proactively. He has been copying me do the sign, while he’s been nursing, but this was the first time he asked for it on his own. We’ve used this sign exclusively for breastfeeding and haven’t decided what to use for cow’s milk yet … perhaps “drink” because we don’t plan to offer juice for quite some time yet.

Aug 31 – There always has to be a “poop” comment, doesn’t there?!? Very strange stuff coming out of my child today – his poop looks like coffee grounds. I checked online and called the Nurseline – both assured me that blood in the vomit looks like coffee grounds, but not in the stool, so I’m pretty sure it’s not blood. (This continued for a couple of days and then disappeared, so we’ll never know what it was.)

Sep 1 – Lovely picnic at Belcarra today with a nice walk afterwards. As we were walking, Patrick and I were sure we heard Nicholas say “dog”. It hasn’t happened again since then, so now I’m not sure. I was at the time, though!

Sept 7-9 – Weekend visit to the island for a wedding and a visit with friends and family. The bride’s mother was so thoughtful – she had bought little toy bags for each of the kids who attended the wedding, so they had stuff to play with during dinner and speeches. Nicholas was very taken with his Dora doll and beach ball.

Sept 9 – Four milestones today: (1) Nicholas signed “yes” for the first time, (2) he also signed “food/eat” for the first time, (3) he called “mummy” to get my attention instead of just crying in the crib, exactly the way I’ve been asking him to do, and (4) shoot, I can’t remember what the 4th was and I didn’t take good enough notes! Hopefully Kim will help me remember.

Follow-up note: Well done, Kim, the 4th milestone … he (almost) said his first word in Spanish – “ga” for “agua” (water). Turns out he’s using the same spoken word for any drink other than breast milk, but that’s because he’s mostly only getting water with the occasional sip of milk (no juice yet).

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Thrifty Foods to the rescue … again!

In this age of crummy customer service, the staff at Thrifty Foods continue to exceed my expectations. They’re setting the bar high and none of the other grocery stores match up.

First off, they offer a FREE birthday cake to any little customer turning 1 year old – super timesaver! Then, they came to the rescue for Nicholas’ birthday party by re-icing his free cake … on the morning of the party (the icing heated to the point of sliding off the cake as we ran party errands).

Today, they did it again! One of my friends called to let us know the location of her son’s party tomorrow has changed (we’re going to be indoors to avoid the impending showers) – during the conversation she mentioned that the person bringing the birthday cake had just cancelled. No cake for the birthday boy? We couldn’t have that! I called Thrifty’s right away and explained the situation, asking if there was any possible way we could take advantage of the free cake at this late notice (a mere 17 hours to party time).

Wouldn’t you know … they were PLEASED as punch to be able to help us out! That’s what I love about them! Never a “siiiiiigh, i guess so” … not just a simple “sure, we can do that” … but a very definitive “absolutely, we’d love to!”

That’s what makes Thrifty Foods stand out … the genuinely service-oriented staff! Every employee appears to love their job, the company that pays them, and the customers they serve.  Considering I do almost nothing in the kitchen at home (singing my husband’s praises for being the kitchen-master that he is), I seldom enjoy grocery shopping … EXCEPT when I go to Thrifty’s.  The products are great, the online shopping tool rocks (it even sorts your shopping list by the store aisles), and the staff are second to none!!!  I’ve never had so much fun buying chicken breasts!

Thank you!

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Comprehension & first sign

He obviously has a clear understanding of what we’re saying … at times … and apparently he also has selective hearing (like most kids). He doesn’t seem to hear us when we try to stop him from pulling out all my keychains (I have a collection of over 600, in a wicker basket), but if I ask him for besos (spanish: kisses), he will suck in his lips (like a fish) and blow me a kiss (no hands). It is the cutest thing – we HAVE to try to get it on video.

Yesterday I asked him to pass me a book that was on the floor beside him … and he did. I was so surprised, because I didn’t really expect him to understand me.

He’s also started signing “more” when he’s eating – not all the time, but it’s clear that’s what he’s intending to sign. Very exciting – his first sign! After 12 months of repitition, it’s great to see our efforts being rewarded. I just wish he would learn the sign for milk, so he could tell me when he’s thirsty. Right now, I don’t know he’s thirsty until he gets his little “milk whine” – a very distinct sound that turns into almost-laughter when I sign “milk” to him … and he comes tearing across the room to launch himself at me. Dead giveaway what he’s wanting at that point.

He hardly ever nurses to sleep anymore – maybe once in the last 4 days. I’m pretty sure he’s not getting nearly as much milk as he used to, so perhaps that’s why he’s not falling asleep. When I put him in the crib, he fusses, but he’s asleep within about 2 minutes and then he sleeps for an hour (almost every time). Nighttime hasn’t seen another straight-through sleep since those 2 nights earlier in the week (Tuesday and Wednesday) – oh well. I do kinda miss the nursing to sleep (in the daytime), though – it was sweet and special.

Oh, before I forget … he’s a climber! It’s getting a little nerve wracking – every time we turn around, he’s pushed one of his toys over to a gate/chair/table/couch to climb up! He’s cautious the first time, but then he feels secure, so doesn’t hesitate to do it again. I know he’s going to fall and hurt himself, which worries me, but I also don’t want to be a “hover mum”, so I’m trying to maintain a slight distance. I want him to explore and learn about his skills/abilities, but I want to be close enough for a cuddle when needed (usually after a bump/fall). This is a balancing act, isn’t it?!?

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Eggs

I’m not sure, but I think Nicholas might be sensitive to eggs.  The 3 times he’s had them so far have caused some nasty, green, runny poop that resembles diarrhea.  I don’t know whether this is just his body experiencing egg for the first time, or if it’s something I should be concerned about.  Any ideas?

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Thrifty Foods – another great customer service story!

Humble Pie was great, but here’s another company who knows how to look after their customers!

Friday – the day before my baby celebrated 1 year on the planet – we picked up our free cake from Thrifty Foods (a little something they do for 1-year-olds as part of their fantastic customer focus). I don’t mean a standard round cake – I mean a kick-ass slab cake that feeds 15-20 or more, depending on the size of the pieces. Not too shabby, eh?! And that’s only the beginning! I’ll let Patrick’s letter to Thrifty Foods tell the rest of the story …

To whom it may concern,

I want to tell you about the fantastic experience we had with the Thrifty Foods in Coquitlam, Austin Station, this past weekend.

Our son was turning one-year-old; my wife ordered a cake through the bakery as part of your first birthday promotion. We picked the cake up on Friday afternoon; it was nicely decorated with his name. However, by the time we got home in the afternoon heat the icing had slid/melted off the sides of the cake. My wife was nearly in tears and we had family coming to stay and nearly 40 people arriving the next afternoon to celebrate Nicholas’ birthday.

I called the customer service line and explained what happened. I was referred to the store where I retold my story twice more. Everyone was super understanding. Finally, I spoke to “Ray” who I assume was the duty manager. He had obviously been briefed by someone else because he apologised for not having a cake decorator in the store at that moment. He promised to communicate our situation to Trent, the bakery manager. We arranged for me to take the cake back to Trent and have him look at it and see what he could do. I was very relieved; I didn’t want to spend the night trying to recreate the icing on the cake.

The next day, I took the cake to the bakery department. I was greeted by one of the staff who already knew about our situation. She got, Trent who took the cake and told me to return in 15 minutes. When I came back he presented me with, what I suspect was a new cake, although I don’t know for sure.

Disaster Averted !!!!

I was stunned by the helpfulness and understanding of everyone I spoke too, especially, since this was a free cake to begin with.

There isn’t just one person who deserves credit for this it’s the whole team, from the Customer Service person on the toll free line, to the evening staff at the store and Trent the Bakery Manager.

 

By the way, the cake was delicious! We were already huge fans of Thrifty’s, but this has really gone a long way to securing our business even tighter (even though the store isn’t the closest one to us).

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July (Canada Day) long weekend

Wow, did we ever fill up this past weekend!

Friday: Patrick’s day off – we headed into the city for our monthly visit to our favourite chiropractor and to run some “city” errands. A quick stop into MEC to learn how to properly fasten/use the backpack carrier we bought the other day at Value Village was very enlightening. Our pie arrived just before dinner (you really need to read the post about the pie). Friends over for dinner – a perfect way to end the day.

Saturday: Started with the Pancake Breakfast put on the by the local fire department (they let us have 2 pancakes each!), where we bumped into Marta and Rob (haven’t seen her since she was our supervisor during last year’s Census and before she went off to Ghana). Then we met up with some friends to go to the Highland Games, especially to watch Wendy perform with her dance troupe – great job, girl! It was so much hotter than I had expected! A visit to the water park cooled us all down and we had fun watching Nathan show us how well he can walk now – about 6-7 steps at a time! We were pretty exhausted at the end of it all, so had a nice quiet “family” evening.

Sunday – Canada Day: I was too tired and sunned out from Saturday, so we cancelled our plans to go to the local Canada Day celebration. Instead, Nicholas and I crashed Mathias’ birthday party – he is lucky to have so much family nearby. I feel so isolated with my family spread out around the globe – we haven’t had big gatherings like that since I was a child. I wish there were a way we could manage a trip to England and try to plan a big family reunion. By the way, Mathias weighs in at only 1 oz less than Nicholas now, so Nicholas is no longer the “giant” of the group.

Monday: We had cancelled our Toddler Talk, assuming that everyone would be busy with other plans, but with a last-minute email to the group, we pulled together a BBQ at the water park. Gotta love those last-minute plans – they are so relaxing and fun! 4 families showed up, with another one stopping by later on. At one point, we took the kids over to the playground and let them sit on the teeter-totters and swings. I experienced Nicholas’ first attempt at a tantrum! I know he loves the swings and we usually spend a fair bit of time in them, but there were other kids waiting to get on, so I had to pull him out after about 15 minutes. He screamed! I was so shocked – he’s never reacted like that when something has been taken away from him. Oh dear, here it comes! I gave the waiting dad an apologetic look and he waved us back into the swing. After another 5 minutes, I decided that was enough and pulled him out … same reaction! Well, at least I know for sure that he enjoys the swings. I soothed him for a moment with a soft voice and a cuddle, and then showed him one of the other toys in the playground to distract him. Success! (Side note: I watched a friend soothe her 3-year-old tonight and I took notes! She was amazingly calm and logical – it worked like a charm – the fit lasted less than a minute!)

I managed to give myself a not-so-nice burn on my back … so concerned with making sure Nicholas was fully covered in lotion that I forgot about myself. Ouch! Here’s a couple of cute videos from Monday.

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Humble Pie

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the BC credit union website to search for an ATM close by. The search found 4 that I went looking for, only to find that one didn’t exist at all, two were much further south than shown on the map, and the other one was 10 minutes east of where the map showed it to be. The experience was pretty frustrating, so I sent them an email to let them know what had happened. I gave them details on my search parameters, the results, and the ensuing frustration.

This reply came from Alana a few days later … “Thank you very much for bringing this matter to our attention. I can understand your frustration of being misdirected by us. We were unaware of any problems with the ATM mapping feature on our website, and upon receiving your email have been in contact with our technology partners to ensure that all mapping errors are corrected as quickly as possible. The specific information you have provided us with has definitely helped us narrow down where the issue exists, and we truly appreciate the time you have taken to send us this information.”

Now, that’s a sincere response (not like the duck complaint). She asked for my mailing address … I assumed to send me a card. What arrived knocked our socks off! On Friday, while we were in the city, we got a call from a courier to arrange a delivery time for a pie. Cool – just what we needed, because we were having company for dinner and Patrick didn’t have time to make dessert.

But this was no ordinary pie! It was GI-NOR-MOUS!!! Imagine a 4.5 lb pie in a reusable pie plate, packed in a wooden crate filled with strips of “thank you” paper, with the note of thanks I had been expecting. The pie’s ingredients were also listed with instructions … it was so fresh that it is recommended to finish it within 5 days. It will definitely be finished by Wednesday, if not before! Although that will require us to eat some fairly large pieces – life is rough <lol>.

Can you say “customer service”?!? I have two kudos to send out here – one to the BC Credit Union for sending the pie and one for person who started The Acme Humble Pie Co – what a great business concept! If you EVER need to send an apology or thank you, please consider using this company – you will definitely earn some brownie points in the process from the recipient!

Update: here’s another great customer service story … Thrifty Foods.

And another update: Not just lip service.

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So much, so fast!

I’ve been struggling to blog recently because I’m just so tired at the end of the day! I really didn’t learn in the first 10 months just how much work it was going to be looking after him on my own – I always had Patrick around to share the responsibility. At times, I feel so incompetent because I just can’t seem to get everything accomplished. Another mum I was talking to mentioned that she sets herself a goal of only 2 tasks per day (washing dishes, laundry, etc) because she knows that’s the most she will realistically get done – anything else is a bonus at that point. Trying to work part-time on top of caring for him has definitely proven to be harder than I expected, but it has to be done. So, thank goodness for child-swapping with Petra!

His sleeping is back into his regular pattern – down to bed between 8 and 9, up between 11 and 12 for a top-up, and back to sleep until 6 or 7-ish. Every night is slightly different, but that’s the general pattern, for the most part.

I can’t remember if I’ve posted this before, but he LOVES being on the swings – the higher we push him, the happier he is! Here’s a cute video of him on the swings with Nana pushing him.

He’s done some really neat things recently that I want to be sure to record:

• waving hello and goodbye – not 100% consistent, but enough that we feel he really understands what he’s doing
• getting super excited when people he recognizes walk into the room
• for the most part, he’s eating the same meals that we eat (in smaller pieces)
• the other day, we caught him standing unsupported for about 5 seconds before he realized what he was doing and grabbed onto the couch
• when he’s eating and wants some more, he’s saying “maaaa”, which we are interpreting to mean “mas” (Spanish for more) – I could be stretching on this one, but that’s my job!
• and today, he did this, out of the blue with no warning ….

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