We just finished waving goodbye to memere and pepere they are off to the airport to return to Moncton. It's weird some of the time while they are here I feel overloaded and wishing for quiet but as they left I got all teary eye. I have not gotten teary eyed saying goodbye to my family in years; I remember when I first moved to toronto I would cry quietly every-time I left Moncton. Now Toronto is my home and I almost never miss Moncton. I think the sadness comes from the fact that I know Christophe loves his grandparents and I wish they could spend more time together. They get to see each other 4 times a year for a few weeks but so much happens between each visit, next time they see him I am sure he will be crawling or walking...

What's this white stuff?

Christophe makes me laugh all the time...

He almost never spits up anymore. However, today, while he was on his tummy, he spat up a bit and immediately started playing with it: "What's this mama, a new toy?"

Why wont you help me mommy

My son hates his car seat, however sometimes we need to travel by car.

Today we went to Rexdale and Brampton to pick up a few things and where I go, Christophe goes , because he is still nursing. This is how the trip went: 10 mins content but not happy in his seat. 30 mins crying and looking and reaching at me to pick him up while I sing Brother John over and over to him. 30 mins of screaming while his face is turning red.

Now we are at our first destination, we stop, I take him out of his car seat, he is happy. Once we are done, we get back in the car and the ordeal starts all over again, this time skipping step one, as he starts to cry as soon as he touches his seat.

We get to our second destination then get back in the car he is actually happy for the short 10 mins to our final destination. Now we need to get home, he starts to scream, he is red in the face, he has tears pouring down his cheeks. Nothing I do can help he falls asleep. I hope he understands that we put him in that horrible car seat because we love him.

Unsafe Food Additives

Brilliant Blue FCF: Artificial Coloring. Inadequate test suggest a small cancer risk.

Fast Green FCF: In 1981 studies showed hints of bladder cancer in animals, but after the FDA reanalyzed the data, it concluded it was safe.

Erythrosine: The evidence that this red dye causes thyroid tumours in rats was "convincing" according to a 1983 report requested by the US FDA.

Information Source: Nutrition Action

Want help remembering what chemicals to avoid check out my quick guide to chemical additives.

Toy Thursday

If you are a mom in the east end of Toronto there is a great chance your wee one has a blabla. (I say this because I think half of the babies in all our groups have blablas) We purchased our blabla at Baby on the Hip when Christophe was minus 8 months. This is actually the first purchase we made for him, I am pretty sure we had yet to tell anyone that we were expecting. At the beginning he was not very interested in his blabla but now it is one of his favorite toys to chew on. We keep it in his stroller so it is with us when we are on the go.

Thank you Baby on the Hip for bringing in such great toys.

Day in the life of...

Yesterday, Tuesday October 21, 2008 was not a very exciting day but a busy day.

First thing fist it is cold cold cold, we actually had a bit of snow today.

We started the day by playing a bit with memere and pepere while mama worked on some educational picture cards for me (more about those another time). After all the adults were ready Christophe got dressed in the cutest little overall that he wet within 2 hours with an overflowing diaper in the car (luckily nothing got on the car seat). When I changed him in the spare outfit that had been sitting in the diaper bag for over a month now I realized that his pants now looked like a pair of capris (time to retire these).

During all that peeing we were on our way to Scarborough Town Center with a stop at Grain Process Enterprises were mama picks up flour once a month. For anyone out there looking for cheep organic flour and other goods such as pasta, nuts, rice, baking supplies, sugar, stock try this place they are an actual mill and manufacturer of goods that have an outlet store open to the public. They are located at 115 Commander Blvd. (416-291-3226).

Once at the mall mama and memere did lots of shopping for Christophe, Gymboree was having a great fall sale with lots of great discounts.

After all of that back home for some pasta, broccoli and carrots for supper and a bath with papa to finish off the night.

Memere and Pepere

They have arrived. Well, they arrived last week but we have been so busy that I have not had a chance to post.

My parents are here till the end of the month, they live in my home town, Moncton NB, so they don't get to see Christophe in person that often (we chat almost everyday via the web cam). This is there 3rd visit with him. We are going to try to have 4 visits a year (2 in Toronto and 2 in Moncton)

I just love seeing my dad play with Christophe.  My father is a very animated man and loves making people laugh and joke around, so kids love him. Geoff phrased it perfectly, "Your dad was probably waiting since you were 2 to have someone to laugh the way Christophe does with him again."

It's been great having them around as it has given me the time to work on a few things that I have been wanting to, since my mom helps around with the housework and Christophe definitely likes the idea of having 3 playmates to choose from all day.

Presents are too big to eat

We received this lovely present (a blanket made by Isabelle we will post a picture of the blanket at a latter date it's too cute) that Christophe could not seem to eat and was very unhappy with that.

What's your favorite...

What's your wee one's favorite book?

I wish I could say Christophe favorite book is a french book however it's Rutsty Robot.

References:
Image: Amazon.com

Unsafe Food Additives

Indigotine: The largest study suggested that it may cause brain cancer.

Sunset Yellow FCF: Animal test indicate that the dye causes tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney. Small amounts of several carcinogens can contaminate Sunset Yellow. The US FDA concluded that the coloring doesn't endanger humans. Also known to cause allergic reactions.

Stevia: High doses fed to rats reduced sperm production and increased cell proliferation in their testicles, could lead to infertility. Can only be sold in canada as a dietary supplement.

Information Source: Nutrition Action

Want help remembering what chemicals to avoid check out my quick guide to chemical additives.

Toy Thursdays

What is your favorite microbe?

Ours is the Chicken Pox.

Since we are a bit of geeks I am sure by the time Christophe is 5 or so he will have a dozen microbes from Giant Microbes. Cost is approximately 10$ per microbe.

Wordless Wednesdays

Tasty Tuesdays

How do I avoid plastic baby spoons without buying metal spoons. The reason why I say not to buy the metal spoons is it is so easy to accidently hurt a fussy eater with metal spoons.

We found these great sets from Bambu available online at Kai Kids for only $14.99.

I absolutely love these; we have yet to try the fork because our little guy is still too young but the spoon is just the right size for his little fussy mouth. Now only if we could find something he likes the taste of to put on this spoon.

For those stylish moms and dads out these that love cooking check out Bambu's website to see the rest of the line that they offer...

References:
Image: Kai Kids
Pricing: Kai Kids

No food for me

For the past month this is what feed Christophe has been like. 0% of the food gets in...

Swimming

Christophe started taking "swimming lessons" every Saturday morning at a community center in our neighborhood with his papa; it feels weird to be on the sideline watching...

The City of Toronto has a great swim program, 9 weeks, 30 min classes for $29.

What's your favorite...

I though it would be intreasting to see what my readers think about various baby related items. I decided to try to post a question once a week for you to answer. I hope to find this an interesting way to learn about new baby products that I might not have tough about.

What's your wee one's favorite toy?

Christophe's favorite toy is hands down Skwish.

References:
Images - Manhattan Toys

Unsafe Food Additives

Aspartame (NutraSweet): Artificial sweetener. Italian research in animals indicate that long term consuption may increase risk of leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer. Some people report dizziness, hallucinations, headaches after drinking diet pop. People with PKU need to avoid aspartame.

Saccharin: Animal studies indicate that it can cause cancer of the bladder, uterus, ovaries, skin and other organs. It also seems to increase the potency of other carcinogens. Can not be sold as an ingredient in foods or beverages in Canada.

Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Nitrite: Adding this to foods can cause small amounts of potential cancer-causing chemicals called nitrosamines.

Information Source: Nutrition Action

Want help remembering what chemicals to avoid check out my quick guide to chemical additives.

Growth Chart

I had been looking for a growth chart for Christophe for a while now and we found the perfect one on Etsy. The 1 2 3 Grow With Me chart by Inklore is simple and contemporary looking. You don't feel like you need to hide this one in your child's room; we hung ours in the front hall so everyone can see the great progress our little guy is making. I was very pleased with the quality of craftsmanship when we received our product and delivery was very speedy.

One of the things I like the best is you are supporting a small business as these are hand made.

Also since it is made in fabric we can one day fold it up and store it as a great souvenir we can pull out for Christophe once he is older.

References:
Image - Inklore/Etsy

Eco Friendly Fridays

Pesticides:

Everyday your child under five consumes on average eight pesticides a day. You may not see an immediate reaction in your child but pesticides are know to have a cumulative effect, particularly in growing bodies and could cause health problems in the future. I will not explain all the negative effects they can have here but will share a few easy tips on how to avoid pesticides.

1. Use non toxic pest control options at home.
2. Wash and peel conventionally grown vegetables and fruits.
3. Remove an discard the outer peel of conventionally grown leafy vegetables.
4. Rotate foods so that you are not eating the same food every day. (different pesticides and amount of pesticides are used with different foods)
5. Purchase organic foods when available
6. Only purchase organic foods if you are consuming the peel or outer layer (i.e. berries, broccoli)
7. If you have the space start your own organic garden
8. When eating conventional grown foods stay away from the core of the fruit as pesticide then to accumulate near the seeds.
9. Try to only purchase organic pre-packaged goods as it is impossible to confirm what parts of the vegetable and fruits were used and how they were washed.
10. Only purchase organic dairy and meat products as conventional dairy and meat have a high percentage of pesticides.

Have a happy toxic free friday.

Toy Thursday

OK this on is not a toy per say but it was worth a mention...
Over a month ago now we picked up from With Child the Wisey Play Mat. This mat folds up into a bag, so you can easily bring your toys and play mat anywheres. I have yet to travel with it but the reason why we wanted this play mat was for easy clean up to keep the mat and toys away from our cats. So far so good we love it. I have a hook in my hallway and at the end of each play session we fold it up with the toys and all and hang it up. It helps keep my living room clean and I no longer find cats sleeping in Christophe's play mat. Approximate cost $50.

A little warning to moms with dare devil babies such as my Christophe, the mat has 3 little red straps on the inside to attache toys (we never use ours) Christophe discovered these a few weeks back and literally pulled the mat from under him sending himself flying and crashing. He did this twice and then decided it was no longer fun. Even with this mishap this is one of my favorite buys.

October 7, 2008 - Day in the life of...

I decided to start once and while writing a brief journal of a day in the life of Christophe. That way he can look back at this and see what things were like when he was a baby.

Today was a busy one we started the day off late by sleeping in then off to our weekly trip to the market where mama bought tones of veggies. Christophe got to take the bus as mama hurt her foot the day before and the 30 min walk seemed a bit too much. We also stopped at Jerry's this great little grocery store at and Monarch Park to pick up a few items.

Once back home we built a fort using a bed sheet and the 3 kitchen chairs in the living room and played, nursed and napped in it while we waited for our friend Amitav and his mom Sara. Christophe really seemed to enjoy having a friend over; we have had other moms and babes over but never one in his age range (Amitav is around 7 1/2 months also). After some play we walked Amitav and Sara back home stopping on the way for some hot chocolate (for mama) and to check out a new second hand clothing store in the Beach.

Once we got back home we prepared supper; home made pasta for mama and papa; avocados for Christophe. I was amazed Christophe actually ate some food. We have been having a hard time convincing him to eat anything that is not breastmilk.

We were supposed to finish the night with a bath but all tired from a long day we fell asleep in mama's arm before the bath was even poured.
All in all we had a great day.

Wordless Wednesday

A few weeks back we attended our first birthday party; Sebastian turned 2 and Morgan 5.

Tasty Tuesday

For me tasty tuesday is al about Christophe and feeding him; in order to feed a baby in todays modern world you "need" gear so this entry and the next few weeks will be about gear.

Bibs:

there are thousands of bibs these days to chose from however and eco friendly parent or just an aware parent needs to ask themselves many questions:

• Is it made out of natural fibers
  
• Is it PVC free
• Is it Vinyl free
• Is it Phthalate free
• Does it have ties (ties are a no no these days with kids as they can strangle themselves)
• Can it be easily washed
• Does it stain easily
• Does it fit a long age rang (you do not want to be buying bibs every 6 months)
• Does it have a pocket to ketch falling food

I am sure there are more questions to ask but this is all we could think of. We found a bib that answers almost all these criterias from Crocodile Creek. We have 2 of these an so far these are our favorite bibs, the only criteria from above that they do not meet is 100% natural fibers. They are made of cotton but have a non-toxic coating for easy cleaning.

Refrences:
Image from Crocodile Creek

Unsafe Food Additives

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): Helps prevent rancidity in fats, oils and food containing oils. According to the US government's National Toxicology Program it is "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen", based on animal studies.

Partially Hydrogenated Oil: Oils can be made into semi-solid shortenings and margarine by chemically adding hydrogen. This process creates trans fats, which raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.

Propyl Gallate: Preservative. The best studies hinted that it might cause cancer.

Information Source: Nutrition Action

Want help remembering what chemicals to avoid check out my quick guide to chemical additives.

Eco Friendly Fridays

This one is a bit more about your families health, but is also about the environment. Get your water tested for lead if you have an old home. Many old homes have lead pipes leading into the house from the cities water main. In Toronto it's easy; if your home was built before 1955 all you need to do is send an email to waterqualityline@toronto.ca with the following information:

• contact person
• address
• nearest major intersection
• contact phone number

One of the city's Samplers will drop off a sample bottle with instructions in 6 - 8 weeks (from time of request). All you need to do is collect the sample as directed and leave it out for pickup on the date indicated on the instruction sheet.

In the meantime, if you suspect lead in your drinking water, you may filter your water (a filter certified to remove lead ie. Faucet-attached Brita Filters remove 90%+ lead) or drink bottled water, until test results are determined.

You may also contact a Public Health Inspector at 416-338-7600 for more information on the health risks associated with lead.

I strongly recommend anyone that has small children and an old home to do this.

If you do not live in Toronto I would recommend to contact your city all and ask what is the procedure for your city.

As it stands we are waiting for our sample bottle I will keep you posted on the results once we have them.

Toy Thursday

We recently ordered and picked up from Treasure Island Toys Haba's Discovery Wagon
Christophe has been showing interest in walking for over a month now so we decided it was time to get him a push toy / wagon. Well its a hit, this is the toy that he wants to play with all the time. I hope this continues as it was not cheep (average cost $250), but so far it is worth it. He will also be able to grown with this toy as it should last till he is about 3 or 4 years old. So far I have to say both his balance and walking ability are improving fast and furious with the help of this wagon.

Music for kids

This is something I have been meaning to blog about for a bit now. Christophe loves music and we always have something playing in the background. I also make sure we do some music time every day; sometimes we sing fun little songs for him; other times we dance to music; or even sometimes we play with instruments. Whatever it is we do we usually have a minimum of 30 minutes of music time everyday.

Christophe has a Rain Stick, Cage Bell, a few maracas, some jingle bells and a harmonica. I think that is pretty good for a 7 month old. Of course all music play is supervised as some of these instruments could be dangerous if left unattended. Once he turns one I want to pick him up a few more instruments from Plan Toys: Xylophone, Drum and Castanets.

As for Music CD's some of our favorites are:

New Orleans Playground
French Playground
A Pas de Velours
Cajon for Kids

We are always looking for new music I would love to know what your favorite CD's are.

References:
Photograph - Amazon.com