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Yesterday Gwen had her six-week checkup. She now weighs 12lbs2.4oz, so almost a full four pounds more than at birth, and she’s 22.5″ long, two inches longer than at birth. Basically, she’s SO BIG! She’s really starting to become fun to interact with as well- when we cuddle and play with her we’re rewarded with huge smiles instead of just sticky baby hands flailing at us and tangling in our hair (although that does still happen)!

Also yesterday was Sym’s school winter concert, and guess what? I FORGOT TO GO. Yep, mother of the year right here. In my defence I spent the time I should have been at the concert wrapping presents, but I felt really bad, so after Sym got home from school I took her on an impromptu shopping trip to the Kid’s Market on Granville Island.

The fastest way to get there from our apartment downtown is by boat, but damned if I don’t have a panic attack every time I step on/off one of those little ferries! I always think I’m going to fall into the water, or at the very least drop my purse overboard! The dock was slippery and I was wearing Gwen in the moby so it was extra nerve-wracking for me, but clearly I didn’t drown. Yet.

The trip was a success, I picked up some great little toys & things for Christmas gifts. Buying presents for people is LITERALLY one of my favourite activities, but I haven’t been able to get much this year due to being so epically broke. Thankfully my maternity leave payments finally started so PHEW! Christmas is saved! I also bought Sym a little doll to make up for missing her concert, and these cute puffy stickers of Japanese spirits/ghosts/demons for myself because why not.

Since Sym will be spending Christmas with her dad and his family this year, we’re doing our traditional mini-Christmas this weekend, although this year we’re doing it up right. Usually we cram the whole celebration into one evening, but this year we’re doing the whole thing, just tonight and tomorrow instead of next Monday & Tuesday.

So happy Mini Christmas Eve from me, my family and this huge glitter elk I crammed into my tree! I’ll be back with a full recap after the weekend. Hopefully, if I don’t get to busy/lazy.

It’s not easy being such a cute baby, especially with a mommy who imitates your pouts all the time.

THIS BABY YOU GUYS. She is so cute and funny I can’t stand it. And so squirmy, I had to take over 30 pictures to get enough to make this baby collage last night.

I’m finding it hard to find enough time to do things. Time to do the things I need to do, time to do the things I want to do, time to do the things I have to do or I’m literally going to drop dead. Last night I stayed up late while the baby slept so I could finish watching season three of The Vampire Diaries with Taylor, and was consequently super tired today. I decided to nap when Gwen napped this afternoon, but I’d no sooner fallen asleep than I suddenly woke up again and realized I needed to mix up some baby formula and track some packages (all the gifts I ordered should be delivered tomorrow, FINGERS CROSSED), and now there’s no point in going back to bed because Sym will be home in about half an hour. Maybe I’ll sleep tonight instead. Maybe I’ll sleep tomorrow.

A quick little update post!

Since my last post, Gwen turned four weeks old…

… then one month…

… then five weeks. I literally CAN NOT believe how quickly the time has gone already!

Sym got her first report card of the school year and it’s a good one. I’m really proud of her, especially for that B in math, a subject she really struggled with last year.

We finally put up our Christmas tree, way later than normal.

I made an intense amount of banners. This picture is from last Thursday, when I shipped ten orders and since then I’ve sent out an additional twenty-one. I KNOW. IT’S SERIOUS.

When I was pregnant one things I was really excited about was seeing how Taylor would be with the baby. I had no doubt he would be loving and gentle and kind with her (I’d seen how he is with his dog, haha) but I also wanted to see how cute they looked together, my 6’4″ husband and a teeny-tiny baby. Well, I guess I always get what I want because they are SO. CUTE.

Typically I hate pictures of dudes with little kids where everyone who looks at it freaks out about how AMAZING of a human being he must be when he’s not doing anything women don’t every day to zero accolades, but I guess it’s different when i’s MY husband and MY baby, because I KNOW what an amazing human being he is.

This etsy thing just keeps happening! Today’s excitement is the Unicorn Parade Shop on the Urban Outfitters blog!

… and I’m still swamped with orders from the Jezebel mention! I have about a million mini killjoy banners to make, which can get a bit repetitive, but I’ve been making some new, interesting things as well, like this cat portrait banner:

How fun is that??? I’ve already gotten a couple of requests for other cat & dog portrait banners, and I might be making one of little pizzas.

Today I’m taking a break from banners (except for one I finished & shipped already this morning) to focus of cleaning the house, FINALLY recolouring the faded green ends of my hair and of course plenty of baby snuggle time!

Tonight is Taylor’s office Christmas party, so Gwen is having a babysitter for the first time (actually Sym’s dad and stepmom, so TWO babysitters) and I’m trying not to stress about it. Instead I’m stressing about having NOTHING to wear since I’m still in that awkward fashion twilight of being too small for my maternity clothes and too big for my regular clothes and sweatpants are all that fit me right now.

OH WELL, I’m sure I’ll figure something out.

This baby. THIS BABY, I tell you.

She is three weeks old today, and this morning I took her to the doctor for a checkup. In case you were wondering she was diagnosed with FLAWLESSNESS.

She’s grown another centimeter, she’s gained over two pounds (!!!) and she’s basically perfect.

But I already knew that.

On Saturday I spent almost the whole day out NOT doing baby things. It’s true! Taylor stayed home with Gwen and I went out with Sym in the afternoon and some friends in the evening. I actually slept way in that morning so I did almost no baby things that day- it was weird.

I had some boring errands to run (the post office to mail banners, Canadian Tire to pick up window insulation kits, Michael’s for more exacto blades) that I dragged Sym along to, but I was able to make it a fun afternoon for her and therefore for myself as well.

We got salted caramel hot chocolates at Starbucks, after finding the window insulation kits we looked at all the Christmas decor at Canadian Tire (and bought a few things like a stocking for Gwen and light-up Rudolph deelyboppers for Sym), we had a late lunch at Cafe Crepe and I let her choose some small, inexpensive things to buy at Michael’s. It’s really important for me to make sure Sym doesn’t feel left out or unimportant now that Gwen has been born and this was a nice way for me to spend time with her while still getting things done, since I’m super busy right now.

In the evening I met up with my friend Bonnie and some of her friends at Raw Canvas, a kind of art restaurant down in Yaletown.

The menu there is really simple (for $17 you get a tasting plate with your choice of three items from the meats & cheeses side of the menu and three from the accompaniments side) but the real point of going is the painting: you chose what size and shape of canvas you want and have access to a whole wall of locally made acrylics and the help of a resident artist who can give you tips and advice and show you different techniques.

Of course, I already have my own technique- it’s called being a giant control freak and planning/designing/sketching what I want to paint for sometimes weeks in advance, so this was WAY outside mt comfort zone! I actually brought one of the sketches I did for the flowers on Gwen’s cradle with the idea of using it for inspiration and it kind of worked? Like, I don’t LOVE what I bought home but I think if I work on it some more I will like it better. The other problem I had was with their brushes- I like to use tiny brushes to do a lot of fiddly detail on things, and the brushes there are used by dozens and dozens of drunk people so they were scrubbed to death and in worse shape than the ones I have for the daycare kids! I think if I go again it’ll be a BYOB night (Bring Your Own Brushes).

This was all the first time I’d been away from Gwen for any significant amount of time (like, longer than the length of a dog walk around the park) and it was hard, but I think it was good for me to get out. I did miss her a lot though!

I mean… who wouldn’t???

I can’t decide if Georgie actually likes Gwen or if she just likes basking in her reflected glory. She does hate when Gwen cries- like she’ll run up and stare at you with her golden puppy eyes as if to say “WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THAT BABY TO MAKE HER CRY??? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU STOP IT IMMEDIATELY.”

Yesterday Gwen was two weeks old, and I CANNOT BELIEVE IT. How is time going so quickly??? I celebrated by shipping SIXTEEN banners and finally colouring my hair for the first time in probably a month. NO MORE GREY ROOTS. I still need to redo my blue ends but baby steps, right?

I also spent an hour in the shower scrubbing and shaving and exfoliating and I feel like a human being again- like, I’ve been getting tons of sleep thanks to Taylor’s opposite schedule but during the day I’ve been focussing on Gwen things, etsy things and housework things and less on Tanie things. I’d say that has to stop but I spent the morning on Gwen & housework and I’m about to spend the afternoon on Gwen and etsy so… Oh well. I kind of wouldn’t have it any other way.