Father and Son
Dec 11, 2007 Family life
One of my purest joys since the birth of my son has been to watch my husband take care of him. Not because it allows me to rest (which is also nice), but because the conversations they have are probably the most entertaining thing I have ever heard.
Our baby is 4 months old, so of course he doesn’t understand anything, although of course we still have to talk to him. But to me it has never really come naturally: I talk to him because I know it’s good for him and I have too, but I have to make a conscious effort to speak my thoughts out loud. In my husband’s case, however, it seems to be second nature. He’ll chat with our son about anything, from the merits of this versus that toy to the way you cut the vegetables for supper. They have long conversations in which the baby even has his say (by way of Daddy translation, of course, but still).
When they’re chatting like that, I like to just sit back and listen. It’s tremendously funny. It’s also extremely touching. I know that I am lucky to have a husband who gets that involved in raising our son; not all daddies are like that. But there are more and more. And every time I see those young fathers actively taking care of their children, I can’t help but compare them to the role our fathers played in our lives and think that our children are lucky. I’m not saying that to blame our dads: they were a product of their times, just like our husbands are a product of ours. I’m just enjoying the change and thinking how much society has evolved.
The right way, I’d say. I’m sure my son will enjoy a much closer relationship with his dad than I had with mine when I was a child. And I’m sure that will be a positive influence in his life. So I’ll just sit back and listen. And laugh. And enjoy. And love those two handsome men…
Long Silence…
Dec 11, 2007 Family life
I know, this blog has been awfully quiet for the last little while. The problem is, my 4-month-old son has decided to stop sleeping. He used to be a pretty good sleeper: at 2 months old, he would sleep from 9 to 3, then from 3:30 to 6:30 or 7… I had no clue just how lucky I was! About a month ago he added a feeding around midnight. I didn’t like it, but I figured that was still pretty good. Then he started waking up every 2 hours. Then every hour. These days, although we can put him to bed relatively easily, he tends to wake up suddenly thirty (or fifteen, or five) minutes later.
That means that I’m deeply sleep-deprived, and when he sleeps during the day I have to nap, too, instead of write posts. But of course that is rare, too; his naps seem to also end after half an hour. We have tried everything: he won’t take a soother, he won’t take a bottle, music doesn’t help… We tried swaddling him again. We tried giving him a bath before bedtime. We tried the swing – that helps him stay asleep for 30 to 60 minutes, but we couldn’t use it at night since it has an auto-shut-off. We are now looking forward to his doctor’s appointment on tomorrow. Maybe he has an ear infection? Maybe he’s allergic to something I’m eating? Who knows…
So until he (and I) get a little bit more sleep, this blog may be a bit boring. And the November photos may not get posted either, as Zak is spending all of his time at home taking care of the baby so I can get some rest (and hopefully not go completely insane) instead of editing photos… Sorry for that. Eventually things should get better and we’ll be back on track. Hope you stick around!
It’s snowing!
Dec 2, 2007 Family life, Outdoors
For most Canadians at this time of the year, this would hardly be newsworthy. But for us living in Vancouver, the snow that has been falling for 2 days is just short of amazing! We rarely get more than a few days of temperatures below freezing here during the whole winter, and if we do get snow most winters, usually it’s a short snowfall that doesn’t stick to the ground or melts within a few hours. But it snowed for most of yesterday and big snowflakes are filling up the sky again right now!
Most Vancouverites didn’t grow up in Vancouver but elsewhere. A lot of them came here for the warm weather, so when it’s cold and damp they complain. But I think everyone actually enjoys the snow. It reminds them of another home in another time. I know it sure does for me! I really loved those mornings after a storm in Quebec when no-one was in a rush, because there was nowhere to go since everything was closed, and neighbors who had never talked to each other offered to help clean up other people’s driveways or push cars out of the snowbank. It seemed to bring the best out of people. Like it did for my husband, this morning, who spontaneously decided to go shovel the snow in front of our co-op. It’s not his task. It’s no-one’s task. Someone had to do it, so he went.
Time to go outside too and let our little boy discover his first snow. Unfortunately he won’t remember it, but hopefully we can take some good photos to create lasting memories! And when we come back in, there will be some good hot chocolate to wamr our hands and our hearts.
Have a great snow day!
De bonne grâce…
Nov 29, 2007 Français, Miscellaneous
Danielle, cousine blogueuse, m’a mise au défi de répondre à une série de questions qui lui ont été envoyées par une autre blogueuse. Étant nouvelle dans la blogosphère, je ne connaissais pas ce petit jeu qui me fait un peu trop penser aux chaînes de lettres, mais comme ça ne coûte rien (et que Danielle est l’une de mes rares fidèles lectrices), je m’exécute de bonne grâce.
Attrapez le livre le plus proche, allez à la page 18 et écrivez la quatrième ligne
loving-to-sleep (but waking-up-all-night) history to a go-to- (The No-Cry Sleep Solution, Elizabeth Pantley – Ben oui, j’ai un bébé de 4 mois qui refuse de dormir plus de 3 heures d’affilées la nuit et avec lequel je dois me battre pour lui faire faire une sieste de plus de 30 minutes le jour)
Quel est la dernière chose que vous ayiez regardé à la télé
Depuis 4 mois, la seule fois que j’ai ouvert la télé c’était pour regarder le gala de l’ADISQ pré-enregistré, et encore, je n’ai pas fini…
En dehors du bruit de l’ordi, qu’entendez-vous?
Mon fils secouer un jouet dans lequel il y a un grelot, mon chat me supplier de le nourrir encore une fois, le frigo.
Quand vous êtes sorti la dernière fois qu’avez-vous fait?
Hier je suis allée m’entraîner avec mon fils. Une sortie sans bébé? Une sortie au restaurant prendre un dessert avec un couple d’amis la veille de la naissance de mon fils.
Que portez-vous?
Pantalon beige, camisole (d’allaitement) noire – je sais, c’est l’hiver, mais je n’ai pas beaucoup de vêtements pour l’allaitement -, veste de polar.
Quand avez-vous ri pour la dernière fois?
Un grand fou rire : il y a deux jours en lisant ce texte sur Internet, une conversation entre un maître et son chien (qui ressemble beaucoup au nôtre).
Qu’y a-t-il sur les murs de la pièce où vous êtes?
Des photos de paysages prises par mon chum, des plantes posées sur des tablettes
Qu’avez-vous d’étrange aujourd’hui?
Rien de différent des autres jours…
Quel est le dernier film que vous avez vu?
Sicko de Michael Moore
Si vous deveniez multimillionnaire dans la nuit, quel est la 1ere chose que vous achèteriez?
Comme Danielle, je répondrai spontanément : une maison au Québec! Et tout de suite après, je m’organise un voyage à Haïda Gwaii (îles de la Reine-Charlotte) et une croisière en Alaska.
Dites-nous quelque chose que nous ne savons pas encore
J’habite sur le bord de la mer depuis 5 ans et je ne m’y suis jamais baignée.
Aimez-vous danser?
Oui, mais ces temps-ci je le fais surtout pour faire rire mon fils.
Quel serait le prénom de votre enfant si c’était une fille?
Zoé
Quel serait le prénom de votre enfant si c’était un garçon?
Elliot, puisque c’est le choix que j’ai fait il y a 4 mois… Je n’ai pas encore eu le temps de changer d’avis.
Avez-vous déjà pensé vivre à l’étranger?
J’avais toujours dit que ça ne m’arriverait jamais, que j’étais bien trop attachée à ma famille, jusqu’à ce que je déménage ici. Techniquement, je suis toujours dans le même pays. En pratique, c’est l’autre bout du monde, une autre langue et une autre culture, alors on peut bien dire que je suis à l’étranger!
Que voudriez-vous que Dieu vous dise lorsque vous franchirez les portes du paradis?
Je ne crois pas en Dieu… Alors s’il existe, je ne le verrai peut-être pas (on verra s’il me pardonne), mais si je le voyais, j’aimerais qu’il s’étonne que j’aie vécu si longtemps!
Voilà! Si j’ai bien compris, je suis supposée mettre d’autres blogueurs au défi de répondre à ces questions, mais je n’en connais pas d’autres, alors tant pis! La chaîne s’arrête ici…
A Year in my Life…
Nov 28, 2007 Family life
Have you ever stopped to think how much of a difference a year can make in a life?
A year and 10 days ago, one of my husband’s sperms randomly collided with my egg. We had no clue it was happening. We were not planning on having a baby – we had just started talking about maybe thinking of starting a family after our wedding, which was to happen the following spring. We were “protecting” ourselves (although, obviously, not very well). But that moment, that unplanned second, changed our lives forever in ways we never could have imagined.
A year later, I’m sitting at the computer with an almost 4 month old baby on my lap, trying to type with one hand while keeping him entertained. In the last 12 months I got pregnant, got promoted, turned 30, got married and had a child. Only that. Each of these events has been happier than the last. Everything went so well that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. So far my luck is holding (knock on wood).
Life is full of surprises. I had a very happy one this year. It taught me a lot about myself and my husband, and I love him even more now that I have met the wonderful father he can be. I truly feel blessed.
Have you ever had such a year that changed everything in your life?
There is no more lead in MY dinnerware… I think…
Nov 19, 2007 Environment, Less toxic, Resources
I have been delaying writing a follow-up post to “I’m sorry, why is there lead in my dinnerware?” for a while, however after hearing last week a very unsettling news report out of Utah, in which a toddler may have suffered lead poisoning in utero and from breast milk due to her mother’s exposure to the lead glaze on their Gibson Overseas dinner plates, it was pretty hard to delay it further.
A few months back I contacted a number of dinnerware manufacturers – Corelle, Dansk, Dudson, Homer Laughlin China Co., Ikea, Lenox, Mikasa, and Pfaltzgraft – to see if any of their dinnerware products were lead-free. Of these eight manufactures two (Mikasa and Dudson) have never replied, perhaps because they didn’t like the question, or worse, they didn’t know the answer.
Luckily six manufacturers were nice enough to provide some information about their products. Below are the important excerpts from their emails:
Corelle
Our specifications are that stoneware products and glazes are made of clay-based materials and glazes used throughout the industry. Decorations, if present, are made from low-lead enamels and fired at temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees F, which binds any heavy metals both physically and chemically so that their release is minimized.
Dansk
All Dansk dinnerware is made Lead Free.
Homer Laughlin China Co
All of our ceramic products meet the requirements of California’s Proposition 65 for lead and cadmium release. We meet the technical requirements to be called lead free and cadmium free. As we are sure you know, there are trace amounts of lead in the atmosphere which make it impossible to be 100% lead free. You can be sure that our products are as free of lead and cadmium as it is scientifically possible to be.
Ikea
The IKEA product range is subjected to comprehensive tests and complies with the strictest applicable laws and safety standards, and we have detailed regulations on the use of chemicals and other substances in the manufacturing process. If one country tightens its rules, we introduce these new regulations on all IKEA markets, whenever possible. The lead and lead compounds are not allowed to be used and the contamination limit value adopted at IKEA is 100 mg lead/kg.Note: We followed up with Ikea to see if they could clarify what their reference of 100 mg lead/kg was all about and although they have not yet responded to us we did find the following at the bottom of one of the pages in their catalog:
All Ikea ceramics for preparing and serving food are lead- and cadmium safe. This means no heavy metals may be transfered from the glaze to the foodstuffs. For products which come into contact with food. Ikea imposes tougher criteria than the law demands. And tests are made regularly.
Lenox
In response to your inquiry regarding the lead content in our products, lead can be found in our tableware, crystal products and hand-painted products.
Pfaltzgraff
It is our Company Policy to use only lead-free glazes, pigments or decals in our porcelain, stoneware, china and earthenware products. We know of no company with a more stringent policy with respect to the use of lead, cadmium and other contaminants than Pfaltzgraff.
So what is a consumer to do? Well, we immediately took Lenox and Corelle off of our shopping list, followed by Homer Laughlin China Co. simply because we were not overly fond of their style. Next we tried to look for Dansk, but unfortunately we could not find any company selling their dinnerware locally. That only left us with: Pfaltzgraff, Ikea, using glass dinnerware or starting the process all over again.
We hesitated for a while between Pfaltzgraff and Ikea. Pfaltzgraff had some nicer looking dishes, but they all seemed to be made in Asia and we were hoping on finding something made a little closer to home. Ikea in turn had not bad looking dishes made in Europe, Asia, etc. but some of the sets didn’t have any cups. In the end we decided that if we were going to buy dinnerware from a-far, we may as well pick the nicest style, and so we are now eating off of brand new white, stoneware Pfaltzgraff dishes.
The problem with being a consumer, is at the end of the day, it all comes down to blind trust. You can be informed and careful until the cows come home, but unless you can take every product that you purchase into a professional lab for testing, on some level you have to believe that these companies – who are often solely accountable to their shareholders – are doing the testing and have the quality control that they claim to. These days, that is more trust than I have… Which is why although there shouldn’t be any lead in our dinnerware, according to its manufacturer, unless we get it tested I will always have a little spec of doubt! Maybe we should have went for glass dinnerware…
Now, what about the glaze in our slow-cooker… is it lead-free?
Life is so Fragile…
Nov 16, 2007 Family life
One of my uncles just died of cancer, leaving behind 4 children. The youngest is 15 years old… Another of my uncles has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. And one of Zakary’s uncles passed away last week of ALS (amyothrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease).
It is sad, of course, even if they are not family members that we are particularly close to. It’s hard for my mother to say goodbye to her oldest brother. I’m sure it’s making her think about how she herself is getting older, even though she is still quite young and healthy. My uncle who is terminally ill is exactly the same age as my father. It makes me realize that we are all getting older, and they are getting older far away from me.
In the last three months my baby has gone from a fetus to a real little person with his own temperament, likes and dislikes. Already, a quarter of my year of maternity leave has gone by. I know it’s an old cliché, but time does go by extremely rapidly. And you never know what’s around the corner for you or for the ones you love.
So live every day fully, because you never know how many more you have left with your family. Spend time with your loved ones today. Laugh, cry, enjoy every minute. Stop postponing your dreams, your big plans. And quit whining. You’re alive. You’re well. You’re lucky.
I’m serving that advice to myself more than to anybody else. If only I was as wise in my actions as I am in my writings…
Have a happy day!