one flight down

Up at 345....one flight down and two more to go. Kaia slept through the first flight literally from start to finish. I even had a flight attendant hold her while I went to the washroom and she didn't even stir or peep during that whole ordeal. I guess the 345 alarm clock was a bit early for this little girl.
  Kaia is so funny she definitely trys to grab everyones attention flirting with them and giving them big smiles until they look in her direction. She constantly gets people stopping and cooing over her.
We are now sitting in the maple leaf lounge in Toronto waiting for our next flight. Unfortunately we have a bit of a wait....3 hours or so. The lounge here is pretty good though....big lounge chairs, free anything (including booze), baby change room....we are living the life for now.
Kaia is getting antsy I suppose I have been sitting at this computer for long enough time to go find a comfy couch to perch on.

I am getting ready to go to bed...the morning is going to be early. We are off back to the west tomorrow. I am excited to see my husband. That is all I have to say about that.

final days are coming

The trip is coming to an end. We only have a day and a half more here. I just can't believe that we have been here for so long. It has gone by so incrediably fast. I have appreciated the visits that I have had with family. Last night we went and visited some of the cousins on the Hood side of the family. It was a great visit that only makes me wish that there weren't so many kilometers between all of us.
  I have already started packing and I am sure I am going to have over weight baggage issues....My daughter is one spoiled little gal. For once I am not to blame for the overages. Today is Kaia's  8 month birthday. Wow time is just sailing past. I can't believe that it has been 8 months. Soon we won't be celebrating the months....it will be years.
  I keep hearing all these ramblings of everyone enjoying the sunshine and nice weather....I don't know where I am when the sun comes out but I am beginning to feel like a cartoon character with a rain cloud above my head that follows me where ever I go. I was totally fine with the rain when I arrived here clearly because it wasn't snow which is what I was dealing with back home. But after 3 weeks of rain and a forecast of sun after I leave.....all I have to say is THIS IS BULLSHIT. I am a sun seeker what the hell.
The next day and half will be spent relaxing and packing and relaxing....and maybe eating more dulse...I am not even going to admit to how much I have eaten since I have been here. On the bright side its really healthy for you.
Anyways I can hear muffled cries coming from the room above. Game over.

Forget the sun

I am not waiting for the sunshine any more. We just got back from an overnight trip down the French shores. Grammy has a friend that lives there that I have been dying to meet. I have heard so many stories about this woman over the years and I finally got the chance to meet her. She is a psychic, fortune teller, astronomer a few of the many titles I have heard her being referred as. She is definitely an interesting woman. I told Grammy that I would read this woman's book of life for sure. The French shore is gorgeous! It was pouring rain the first day we were there but regardless of the clouds and rain I enjoyed the sights. The houses are so old but I just love the heritage homes and the history behind them. We stayed in a hotel that could easily have passed for a bed and breakfast it was so cozy. The view from my hotel window was a the ocean waves smashing into shore it was really great. We spent the day visiting and shopping. There is the store Frenchys I can't easily explain how this store works it is a cross between a thrift store and a bargain store...I think. But anyways I LOVED shopping in there it was awesome totally my kinda shopping. Treasure shopping is what I like to call it. The morning we left we made a couple of stops before heading back. First order of business was the lobster pound. Two fresh lobsters picked for my eating pleasure. We cooked them last night and let me tell you mmmmmmmmmmmmmm so freaking fresh. Second buy and try Rappie pie. We found the little nook in the cranny that was selling Rappie pie in bulk freshly made that morning. I don't really know how to explain Rappie pie. Its an Acadia thing I suppose made from potatoes and chicken. $6 a pie and well it was pretty tasty. Third take pictures in the fog none the less. Lastly say goodbye to Eta and then we were off back home.
I started another book since I have been here and I am already half done it I dove into that while we were driving. I would have to say road trips have to be my favorite time to read. I am reading "Water for Elephants". I am actually reading a series right now and just finished the second book but I am taking a break in between books and reading this one.
  Kaia was a travelling champion on our trip she hardly made a peep while we were on the road and of course she was sooo good for me during shopping, visiting and eating. That little girl sure grabs a lot of attention from people thought let me tell you. The oohs and aahhhs we were getting. I am still amazed at how much she is changing her energy, curiosity and everything is totally increasing. She definitely well on her way to crawling she just needs to figure out how to get her knees up.
Today's adventure involves going to Aunt Marilyn's house she lives on the beach.....me and Kaia are determined to dip our fingers into the Atlantic before we leave this province.
  Tomorrow we are going to Halifax....shopping,seafood and sights. Tomorrow is suppose to be sunny but rain or shine we are going.
I am missing  my husband I wish he were here but I am not missing Elkford.

mi familia

I have been gone for over a week now and it truly does'nt feel like it has been that long at all. My Grammy is insistant that I am on holidays and that I am not allowed to help much around the house which kind of makes feel like a useless you know what some days. But it definately is a very nice break. I suppose Kaia has been keeping me busy all the same. She has changed a lot in the few days. I find that I have more of a squirmy wormy on my hands when we are just trying to sit and play or relax. She is SO curious touching everything and of course putting everything in her mouth. When she sits and plays she doensn't just sit anymore she tries to move around and often times she will wiggle her way down to lying on her stomach. I have beem trying to expand her diet she has tried fish, chicken, turnip, blueberry and this morning she had rasberry in her cereal.
   With our kind of luck she has been teething, since we have been here she had two new teeth come through and she has two more just waiting at the surface. I have to say though that regardless of her teething she has been a pretty tolerable little girl. She has her moments of fuss but I really do not feel like I can complain. I have seen children that aren't teething fuss more. Last night was the worst of it. She was up often and the one time she screamed bloody murder for twenty minutes or so and nothing I did soothed her. She has never done that before nor has she been unconsolable for such a period of time.
    The rain here has been pretty persistant we haven't been out too much but I am not complaining one little bit. I am just happy to be out of my four walls at home. This moring we went to the farmers market checked out the wares it was good of course I am always a fan of that kind of shopping. Grammy prepared a fantastic prime rib meal for us and some extended family that came into visit us. I am truly spoiled I have to say. It was good to see some cousins second and third cousins actually and a great Aunt. I know Kaia will never remember this visit but I am determined to keep her posted and aware of all of the family that she has regardless of the miles that seperate. Here and in the Phil. I feel like I have missing pieces of my family althoguh I realize that it was never possible to visit regularly I just wish that I was made aware and or updated on the happenings of their lives. I say that for all sides of my family and I say that for Erick's family too. If it was not for our trip to the Phil we would have no clue who, what, where or when with some of his family.
  I feel like I need to write a history book including each family memeber their life story and everything in between. I think that would be a valuable thing to have. Ok call me nosey maybe that is all that it is I don't know. I guess I just want to feel more connected.
Well I am tempted to go to bed Kaia is in dream land by now and with the way her schedule has been going she will be up in a bit. I do miss our getting up once a night routine we were on.

 

We made it

Well I am on holidays. I am in Nova Scotia. We made it safe and sound, in one piece and patience in tact. The flying part was actually pretty good. Kaia was an amazing little traveller I cannot really complain at all. She cried a bit towards the end of the flight of course right when I had someone sitting right next me but none the less it was all good. I am feeling really good here the weather its self is a huge change and a huge releif. There is zero snow here. The grass is green there are buds on every tree and there are flowers to be seen. We haven't done anything too exciting as of yet but for me the change in scenerey and visits with family is plenty exciting for me. I am content. For once I feel content. Kaia remains to be on her best behavior here I am so happy and proud about that. I am really beginning to understand what it feels like to be a proud parent. Kaia is cutting a tooth on the top of her poor little mouth but she has hardly shown any signs of lettling it bother her. I am so impressed. Maybe the amber necklaces actually work. I have had to momentarily give up cloth diapering, I was not about to pack up all the cloth diapers and bring them here. This trip will be the most money I have spent on disposable diapers to date in Kaia's short little life. I have maintained making her homemade baby food though. Its so easy to do so there was no real reason why I wouldn't. She has tried fish and blueberries since we have been here (when in rome) and has seemed to like them a lot.
Tonight will be our 4th night here and I am hoping that Kaia's sleep patterns will go back to normal. The 3 hour time change kind of mixed her up a bit. She just seems to wake up more frequently in the night. Or maybe its her new little tooth bugging her. Who knows. We are up twice a night, three times if you include when she wakes about an hour after she has been asleep. I don't get her up when she does this though I just go tuck her back in and tell her to go back to sleep.
We are heading to a nice place to eat tomorrow for a mother's day brunch. I made some reservations and asked my Aunt Marilyn to join us. It will be a nice quiet time.

I am outta here baby

I am severly procrastinating, I should be packing and cleaning and showering but instead I am sitting here in front of the computer surfing around at nothing. We just had a swim lesson and there was no nap this morning for Kaia so I am hoping this recent trip to slumberland will be at least a couple of hours long. I need to pack her and pack me clean and tidy a bit....and ambitiously I want to get some sewing in. I want to make some more drool danas for her. Erick gave me my mother’s day gift early. He is so thoughtful I wasn’t even thinking about mother’s day. I guess he remembered while he was in the city and he surprised me with a beautiful watch and a picture frame with a picture of me and Kaia in it. Oh and in the card he traced Kaia’s hand print as her signature. I am a lucky gal. I will say it again my lil family here has been my true source of happiness. Erick is going to miss us...he has mentioned a few times now “wow three weeks is a long time”.
  I am excited...so very excited it has been since 1996 since I was last there and I was young too so my experience will be a lot different.
It is time to go get motivated. Next time you hear from me I will be miles and miles and miles away....enjoying  family, great company the smell of the ocean...and hopefully lots of sunshine.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

May is here finally, the sun is out finally. I am feeling a bit better spirits are getting better. The two giant bottles of vitamin D that I purchased may have helped. This winter hit me hard. Kaia has been my only source of joy lately and that feeling truly sucks. Forced emotion, forced nicety and forced smiles. I have only had a select few people around me over the last few months and I have enjoyed exploring and getting to know different senses of community in this little town of boring. I have always preached that you make your own happiness now it is time for me to stop bitching and actually practice it. I have put my foot into different streams of interest over the past few months....yoga, sewing....working out  (blah) so I can’t say that I have just sat around and did nothing all winter. I have tried to pick myself up a notch but for some reason it just didn’t pick me up enough. This coming holiday truly cannot come soon enough. I am so excited to get out of town, explore, visit and just have some different scenery. I will miss Erick, 3 weeks is a long time he has also expressed his sadness and how much he will miss us. I know that he will keep busy though he has a couple trips to go on for volley ball and a possible golf trip.
I am hoping that when I come home everything will be sprung and fresh and sunny and shinning. I am sick of sitting here waiting for it all to happen.
  This weekend Erick was away on a volley ball trip. I was hoping to get some baking done and some sewing neither has happened yet. Erick will be home this evening so Kaia and I will probably be heading down to Mom Canlas’ house for family dinner sans Erick. That is ok though more food for us....wink wink. Marcy came for an overnight visit last night it was a good visit we went out for dinner stopped at a friend’s for a little home based party and then made it home to bath Kaia and play for a bit before her bed time.
  The weekend has been quiet but good...cleaning, visiting and relaxing.