Saturday, June 24, 2017

This hat is too big!

But still super cute!!

Last week in photos

Myrah with a blanket hand made by Great Aunty Jayne
 So, I'm having problems with the app on my phone not uploading photos when I post to the blog from my phone.  I haven't stopped taking baby photos, it's just gotten harder for me to post, hence the lack of posts this week!  I do a lot more on my phone these days rather than sitting at the computer, which I struggle to do much of at all.  I HATE using my phone more than I need to, but it's easier than reading a book while breastfeeding.  I've been getting "the black screen of death" on my iPhone lately and since we use it to run our debit machine I'm disappointed I can't just pitch it into the creek and get a cell phone that doesn't go on the internet like I want to.  We barely get reception at either farm, if Jon or I is in the field we can't even get calls.  It's stupid, and the phone company can't/won't do anything about it.  First world problems.
 We received a few beautiful hand made baby blankets from friends... One made by (Great) Aunty Jayne, one by Laura, one by Lynne, and a quilt from Regan and a quilt from Nancy.  All of these women are amazing people and we're so honored they took the time to make such beautiful gifts for Myrah.  I was lovingly folding them and had them in a pile in her room and then was looking at my photos and realized I was missing out on beautiful useful backdrops for my photos by hoarding the blankets.  I have a few blankets from when I was a baby that are still in new condition and probably never used.  They were meant to be used, so now we use them!  The above photo is Myrah with the blanket from Aunty Jayne, which is the perfect size to cover her when she is in her swing.

Myrah also received a beautiful photo from Lynne, a relatively new customer of ours, but already one of our best & favourite people!  It is gorgeous colors and I've definitely snuggled under it on the couch with and without baby!  I don't have photos of all the blankets yet, but we are so incredibly touched by all the people who have put so much time and energy into gifts that will be treasured her entire lifetime!
 Father's Day was last Sunday, and at the last minute I found this recipe for salt dough (homemade playdough) castings and made these impressions of her hands and feet for Jon and Paul.  It wasn't easy with an infant and I look forward to it being easier next year when she is 1!  Getting her to hold her hand flat was the hardest part.
 After an initial excitement about baby wearing, we are finding we are doing it less and less, mostly because our activity doesn't always fit well with it, and it's often too hot.  For instance, last Monday we spent the whole day weeding.  She mostly spent time sleeping in her stroller, because she didn't seem to like dangling in the wrap while I crawled around in the field pulling weeds.  The wrap is great for walking, but as soon as you stop moving enough she gets pissed off.  We've received tons of second hand baby wearing options in the past few weeks and so we look forward to trying a few of them.  For now, we use the wrap when walking, mowing lawn, and other similar tasks.  I should use it when grocery shopping but I worry she'd freak out in the store.  She did anyway the other day and I had to flee the lineup (Jon was with me thank goodness). 

Myrah has discovered toys and smiling!  I had this play mat upstairs in her room and finally realized that she's the right age for it, so brought it downstairs the other day.  In certain moods, she loves it!  She can even sometimes kick or punch the dangling toys and make it play the song (which is incredibly annoying of course).  Anyhow, it's pretty entertaining watching her be entertained!
Look at that fat milk belly!

For a week now, we've been settling into our summer schedule, a little at a time.  Jon is off work for parental leave which means that he is primary caregiver to our little bean.  On Fridays, I am away all day at market.  On Thursdays we usually go to Mom's farm to get things ready there, except this week Mom was sick and so Jon was home all day with Myrah on Thursday AND Friday.  We are exclusively feeding her breastmilk and so this means I have to pump daily in order to make this happen.  I can't imagine how anyone could go back to full-time employment and still exclusively breast feed, because when I am away from her, life just gets all the more inefficient because I still have to "feed her" (pump) just as much as if she was with me.... And of course, Jon is meanwhile at home feeding her with a bottle.  Besides the main reason, the numerous & many benefits to breastmilk feeding, it's free, so we are really committed to making this work as much as we can this summer.  It's going great so far, and we're learning lessons in being even more organized than I ever thought possible!
The breast pump is great.  I have a Medela Freestyle that Kara gave to me with all the parts and bag and manual.  Unfortunately, due to exhaustion and not having a good system, I melted a bunch of the parts last week (in retrospect, having breast pump parts in a metal bowl on the stove "to be sanitized" is a terrible idea, especially when you turn on the wrong element).  It's annoying because we don't have good water so I have to sanitize everything after each use, but now that I've got a system (A pumping "station" in the kitchen where I can store everything), it's not a big deal.  She's doing great with the bottle and she's even improved her burping ability lately... Lets 'em rip quite easily after a feeding. 

The day of the 6-week growth spurt, where only milk could make her stop screaming!
The weird thing about breastfeeding is that feeding your baby at your breast is very normalized for the most part (most people wouldn't dare stare or say anything about it), but I don't feel the same is true for pumping, which if you're a breastfeeding Mama and planning to do anything other than be with your baby 24/7, is a necessary part of breast feeding.  I pump in the trailer during markets, but I tuck away into a corner so nobody can see my contraption extracting food for Myrah.  That's not a big deal, but I can't imagine working in an office and having to pump a few times a day.  Anyhow, I'm glad we have the life that we do!  We have a good supply of milk in the freezer now so the pressure to make sure I leave enough each day I am away is off... I am fortunate that I seem to have more than enough milk supply!

Little Myrah is grunting away in her swing now, which sounds like she's ready for more food.  We usually spend mornings inside getting a slow start to the day and getting organized, and then after lunch she sleeps and we usually go out and weed or do some other outdoor task.  Today if it doesn't rain we'll be weeding, if it does rain we might go over to Grandma's house and help get things ready for the shower she is hosting, which ended up falling on a week she is sick and didn't have enough time to get the house cleaned and baking and food prep done as it is.

Hope you are warm and cozy as you are reading this.  June hasn't been the nicest month this year, especially lately!
 

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Weed & feed

I call this "the weed and feed". Jon, Myrah, and I weeded for over 4 hours today.

Monday, June 12, 2017

June 12

Here's Samson babysitting. I still love my cats as much as I ever did!
Probably poop face, but she looks so cute anyway!!
Hanging out with Grandpa Paul in the rocking chair


One month old!

Wednesday was our anniversary, so Grandma did baby care while we went out for supper and visited the summer fair. Sounds simple, but in order for this plan to work I had to figure out using my breast pump for the first time, and we also practiced Myrah taking a bottle. Good skills to have as markets begin this week, so Papa Jon will have more baby care duties for the rest of the summer. 

After going to the farmers market to visit yesterday, I realize how many people are going to be disappointed that Myrah is not at the markets, but that's my work time, so if I bring the baby I'll be no help and might as well stay home. Same with the Veggie Lovers pickups... Not the place for the baby, especially since she makes it so that we have to put an extra seat in the van and therefore that much less space for bags. (Jon suggested he look after her when I visited the market, but as that was all people wanted to see, it wouldn't have made sense for me to shop alone yesterday!) I must say, public meet and greets with baby are wearing me out. It feels like everything takes so long with her around, mostly because everywhere we stop we visit! 
Samson cuddles
Just when we were going to snap a cute photo, she poops!!
Weeding and baby are not a good match. She did great handing out in her carseat, but apparently she is a tasty morsel to the wood ticks. After tick season we'll be full on in mosquito season, so wee baby better stay indoors I guess.
Hmmm...!
One month old today!! (June 9)
Future boss!
Visiting the Shermanator. He's been in the hospital a long time now, we've managed to visit every couple of weeks, though I know he'd love to see us every day! 
This face!! ❤ ❤ ❤ 
Kickin' cats... They don't seem to care at all.
Looking after grandma's greenhouse









Sunday, June 11, 2017

Famous Amos

I did not bring this on myself this time, I swear! Ever since 2014, the Brandon Sun has done an annual story about us and our farm. So, this year it made sense to include Miss Myrah in the story. She's a big part of shaping our plans for this year!

The caption for this photo was hilarious... Something about her wriggling like only an infant can... We were laughing because she was shitting her pants, I'm certain! Like only an infant can... It's not nearly as entertaining when adults do it!

Friday, June 9, 2017

Two weirdos with beardos.

A few photos with Grandpa Paul from this morning
And then Grandpa Don visited this afternoon! So, Myrah will be well accustomed to weirdos with beardos, even though her papa doesn't have one anymore!

When she screams so loud the monitor vibrates and lights up, and you run upstairs to find her totally passed out. WTF?!




Monday, June 5, 2017

I have arms!!

Occasionally, Myrah realizes that she has arms and then goes crazy flailing them around. Most of the time she hits herself in the face repeatedly and then gets mad about it. Being a tiny human is tough work.
This aquarium was a gift from a dear friend whose own daughter had one a decade ago and loved it. It's so nice when people share things that worked well for them. This plays all sorts of lullabies and Myrah's favorite fish/ocean sounds. 
Auntie Andrea came to visit today!
There's that awkward face again. Buddha baby.
Myrah, you're drunk! Lol




Saturday, June 3, 2017

Daily baby

So, I am aware that this is turning into the daily baby blog, and that's ok. Mom and Stacey and Alyson have been enjoying my photos at least, and that's enough... Plus, we were discussing baby books today (we do have one) but I was saying, maybe it'll be more like a baby blog when Myrah looks back at her beginning days. Reminding me to get some damn photos printed, because who knows if the internet will still exist in 30 years when she gives a shit about her baby days!!
Burping face is almost as cute as pooping face!!
Chillin with Papa Jon

Friday, June 2, 2017

I like her pooping face the most!

The many stages of Pooping face!
Laying on cats
"Bleh... I detest Vegans!"
This little face staring at us from the swing... A pretty common scene here!
Hanging out with Papa Jon.  She is being looked after by grandma next week, so we tried a bottle for the first time tonight. She wasn't super impressed, but figured it out fairly well and so we'll probably be able to enjoy a few hours out without her next week!