The ride

This week Everett learned how to catch a piggyback ride. Too fun! I love bounding around the house with him on my back, stopping to watch his delighted face in each mirror and window we pass. Lately I've found myself feeling wistful, thinking of how quickly Everett is transitioning from baby to toddler. Little things like this remind me of all that's to come as our family continues to grow.

Holding tight

Calgary was rocked by a tragedy this week. My gentle city is still reeling from the news of the violent murder of 5 university students at the hand of another student. Facts and details about the event are beginning to surface - nothing seems to make sense. One thing is certain, Calgarians have been holding their loved ones a bit tighter this week. It's unfortunate that it takes something like this to bring us back to the present, to be mindful of the fragility of life and the precious gifts we take for granted. As I upload these images I'm reminded of all the beauty in my life. Hold tight to your loved ones always and remember to respond with love, even when it seems impossible.

Nothing like a new pair of shoes!

Excuse the blurry photos. I only had my phone with me and I couldn't for the life of me get a shot of Everett standing still. He had a blast on his first trip to the shoe store! Now that Ev is walking, and summer is right around the corner, we decided it was time to get him a proper pair of shoes. We love our Padraig booties, but they're not suitable for mud, puddles and parks!
Upon several recommendations from friends, we decided to visit Little Footprints. Little Footprints is a local, family owned business aimed specifically at meeting the needs of small walkers. I was immediately impressed by the undivided attention we were given by Jasmine, one of the owners. Jasmine measured Ev's feet and then observed him walking in his bare feet and explained to me what she was looking for. She evaluated Ev's gait, balance, strength and confidence as he walked around the store. Taking into account future growth spurts, Jasmine helped me decide the best size to purchase.
Based on her assessment she selected about 12 different pairs of shoes that would be suitable for Everett. Jasmine then told me to choose the ones that appealed to me aesthetically and then we would see how they worked. I love that we were given a broad selection - style is everything! Everett ended up trying on 4 different pairs of shoes. It really was amazing to see how differently he moved in each pair! We decided on the pair of Stride Rite's that Ev is wearing in the big picture.
The entire process was quick, educational and fun! Also, Jasmine shared the price of each shoe with me before Everett tried them on - any new mom can appreciate that! Little Footprints also has a rewards program and keeps a file of your little one's shoe size in order to track growth and make purchasing shoes in the future simple. Another great local business that I'm happy to share with you!

You did what with your what!?

Yes, folks. I did it. I ate my placenta. Calm down, it's not what you think. I didn't season it and grill it up with onions and potatoes. I had a lovely, local mom dehydrate it, pulverize it and distribute it into gelatin capsules. My placenta yielded 191 pills, a vial of tincture and a small tub of salve. Are you still grossed out? Get over it. We humans consume much worse. Why placenta encapsulation? Well, my decision was based solely on faith - faith that my body would not fail me as I recovered from the trauma of birth. You see, when women give birth, they not only birth a baby, but they also birth the organ that they created to build the baby. The placenta gets no recognition! The placenta is responsible for providing nutrition to the baby as well as hormones to both mom and babe. Sadly, following most deliveries, the placenta is thrown in the garbage. Gasp! Not my placenta. Placenta consumption is said to aid in postpartum healing, energy, mood and milk supply. As a first time mom, I wanted to stack the deck in my favour. Obviously, I have no control group to compare my experience with, but I felt great in the weeks after Everett's birth. I had tons of energy and was blissfully happy. Seriously. I'd love to take all the credit for that - but I'll give it some to my hardworking, under appreciated placenta.

Interested? Read more about placentophagy here: http://news.unlv.edu/article/steamed-dehydrated-or-raw-placentas-may-help-moms’-post-partum-health

Jinxed

So I may have totally jumped the gun on this whole spring thing. Jinxed it. As I mentioned, we Calgarians are all guilty of this. But...is it really so bad to be hopeful, even blindly optimistic that Mother Nature might do us a solid and give in to the inevitable shift to warmer temperatures? I don't think so. I'd rather play the fool in flip flops before all of the piles of snow have melted than play the pessimist.
Thankfully, we have a beautiful inner-city oasis in Calgary where spring blooms year round. The Devonian Gardens is a nearby gem that to my regret, I have only recently discovered. Located inside our downtown shopping mall, the gardens offer a warm and naturally lit environment where everyone is welcome. You can follow meandering pathways to koi ponds, fountains, living walls of plants and hundreds of tropical trees and flowers. There is also an indoor playground! It felt so good to let Everett run free, a little taste of what we have to look forward to once the warm weather decides to stick around. Last summer, Ty and I were living in a haze of sleep deprivation and the myriad of worries brought on by new parenthood that we were barely able to enjoy the beautiful days and long evenings. We are so excited to actually experience summer this year - especially since we'll have the joy of experiencing it through Ev's eyes. Hopefully in a couple more weeks? Fingers crossed!

Junior

This dog. She was our first baby. To say we love her is an understatement. We adore her. She's made it clear that although our family has grown, she is still the queen bee. We're quite happy to indulge her in this. Who are we kidding? We really have no choice.
Junior turned 6 years old yesterday. She celebrated with a raw lamb dinner and tons of her favourite salmon treats. It's hard to believe that 6 years have passed since we brought Junior home. As some of you may know, a few months after we moved to Calgary, Juney was diagnosed with epilepsy. Along with seizures, Juney experiences heightened sensitivity to stressful situations and feels quite insecure outside of our home and in the presence of new people and dogs. It makes me sad when I compare California Juney to Calgary Juney. We still see the sweet, affectionate and quirky companion that she's always been...unfortunately our friends here haven't had the pleasure. She becomes afraid when strangers are near and will bark incessantly. We often have to move Juney upstairs when we have guests and refrain from taking her on the walks and adventures she used to love. We can't risk bringing on a disruptive and traumatic seizure.
Our loved ones worried about how Juney might react to the arrival of Everett. Ty and I didn't worry. We knew that as long as we loved him, Juney would quickly learn to love him as well. Our hearts shine when we see Juney and Everett lovingly interact. I know, I know, it sounds a bit dramatic to speak of a dog so sentimentally - but she is a fiercely devoted member of our clan and in our eyes deserves as much love and reverence as any of us.
Happy Birthday, Junior. We love you!

Spring?

This is what spring looks like in Calgary. We all hold our breath during these warm days in the months of March, April, May and even June. Is this it? Are we free to welcome spring with open arms? Or do we steel ourselves, ever pessimistic, with fear that we'll still have to endure at least one more frigid spell or record-breaking snowstorm? I prefer to dive into the weather head first. It was gorgeous this week. Everett and I went for 1, 2 sometimes even 3 walks a day! My friend Amanda and her precious twins, Ruby and Miles, joined us on Tuesday. Isn't Amanda ridiculously photogenic? She wasn't even wearing make up. And the twins...so cute!!! Coffee's in hand, we trekked through massive puddles, ice berms and mud slicks - nothing could stop us! Jackets were quickly shed and sunglasses a necessity. If it weren't for nap times and impending crankiness, we could've walked for hours. The sun is staying out later these days, filling the afternoons with a renewed energy. We can't wait to get used to this.
Stay, spring! We'll be real good to you, we promise!!