Long time no see!!

I'm a little embarrassed that this blog is called A Working Mom's World and I haven't posted since I started working!! I guess it just goes to show how busy things got!!

Since it's almost my 1 year blogaversary, I thought I would do a catch up post! So what have we been up to in the past 7 months?

I went back to work April 2. It didn't take long before it felt like I hadn't left! It didn't help (or maybe it did help) that I got back right in time for the summer rush. The days would fly by and I didn't even realize it! Most of my work friendships fell right back into place and I even made a few new ones! Having a kid gives you something to talk about with almost everyone! People without kids love to hear the cute things your kid does, and people with kids like to commiserate over the sleepless nights!

Ahh those sleepless nights!! Charlotte adjusted really well to daycare, but as expected she got sick, and Melvin got sick, and I got sick, and over and over again it went. People kept saying, "it's good, it's good! She will build up her immune system!!" and apparently so will we!! Within the first 2 months of daycare, Charlotte had an ear infection, a few colds and pink eye. Melvin also got pink eye since he graciously was able to stay home with her! I got a few colds, and thankfully escaped the pink eye! AFter the first few months, things got considerably better. She is actually getting over a cold and ear infection now, but this is the first in a while. Let me tell you, seeing Curious Caterpillars come up on my call ID at work is never a good thing! They do take great care of her, but if she has a fever, she is sent home and has to be fever free for 24 hours, which means at least a day and a half off work for one of us!! Back to sleep...or lack thereof, Char was sleeping soooo well before daycare, she got sick and we lost track of time...she started needing the comfort during the night again, so up we got, we took turns though since 6am comes realllllly fast!! A few weeks ago, we decided to re sleep train her. She cried a few times the first few nights, but the past few weeks she's been really good! Sleep is so important when you have to use your brain during the day and not just watch TV!!

So here we are, fall is in full force. Summer flew by! We went to Timmins twice for weddings, my parents visited at least that many times and now Melvin's dad is here for a week before they fly off to Europe on a 2nd honeymoon! November is shaping up to be a really busy month for Melvin and I with work events and catching up with friends we've neglected in the past few months. But such is life when there is a major change happening! Thankfully everyone seems to get it!

Melvin joined the gym and goes on his lunch hour. I'm back with my Mommy Fitness Group on Saturday mornings and I've taken to running in the morning before work ok - I've gone twice, but that's because last week was a washout with all the rain and I fully intend to go at least 3 times this week!!

I promise to check in more often!! But I leave you with a few pics of the past few months. We no longer have a baby, but a running, talking, mess making toddler!!

Until next time...enjoy!

Back to reality!

I can't believe I've been off for over a year. It really feels like a month ago I was still at work and pregnant. So much has happened this past year and I am both happy and sad to start this new path!

Little Charlotte Jia Li Tan was born at 11:45 am on Tuesday March 15, 2011. She was 6lbs 7oz. She was pretty helpless and just slept, ate and pooped. As the months went on, we were so proud of every milestone. I remember the first time she rolled over from tummy to back, she was so surprised!! How did I get this way, and how do I get back, the look on her face said!

She was 6 months old when we started her on baby rice cereal. I remember she would only eat a teaspoon at a time. But she sure loved it. It wasn't long before she was ready for more. We started with sweet potatoes! Yum!!

She hated being in the car, so we would strategically plan our trips around her nap time. During the summer, we would walk the dogs at night, and she was still so little, Melvin would just carry her in his arms so she could see everything! She still loves taking walks, but is quite happy in her stroller now.

Then, at 6.5 months, Charlotte had her first cold. I felt so horrible! I don't remember if I was sick first, or if it was her, but it didn't really matter. Poor little girl, didn't understand why her nose was so stuffy and she was coughing. Ofcourse there is nothing that can be done, but give her some extra cuddles and snuggles. So that we did!

Then came teeth! Charlotte got her 2 first teeth (bottom 2) on October 5th. She was so cute smiling with her little chompers showing! And so proud! Teething wasn't nearly as bad as alot of the stories I had heard. So that was quite the relief! Today, she has 6 teeth. 4 at the top and the same 2 chomps at the bottom. According to her red cheeks and cries last night, we think a new one is on it's way!

I remember wishing for Charlotte to crawl, thinking she never would!! Yes, now I am eating my words!! Ofcourse I am happy she is developing, but now I know why my mommy friends kept saying, "be careful what you wish for!!" That little munchkin is EVERYWHERE!! As far as we know, she has only had one piece of dog food, but hey, it's good quality dog food, so it's not too bad right?? She loves their water bowl and loves the french doors in our living room. I think she likes to look and kiss herself in the glass! Grandpa will have his work cut out for him in June as he has the habit of cleaning our windows!!

It wasn't long after the crawling that the constant pulling up started! All she wants to do is stand!! We've lowered her crib to the lowest level, and she wasn't happy when she realized it wasn't so easy to get up now!! As of March 16, 2012, a day after her 1st Birthday. She weighs 17.2lbs and measures 26.5 inches. That's just over 2 feet of Charlotte!!!

Today she is spending the better part of the day at Curious Caterpillars. Melvin came to do the drop off with me this morning as he will be taking over the morning routine on Monday. This is the first morning she really cried and I think it's because we were both there. She had stopped crying by the time we got to the top of the stairs to leave though. So I have the day to myself today! I went for a run, came home, showered, made a smoothie and finished my book. All that before 11am! I don't pick her up until 3pm!! Everywhere I go, I feel like I'm forgetting something and I swear I heard her cry when I was in the shower this morning! I wonder if I will hear or see her around the office next week!

Speaking of office, they are expecting me at 8am sharp on Monday morning. I will work until 4pm and then pick up Charlotte from daycare! I have my framed Birthday Girl picture of Charlotte ready to put up at my desk along with my bag of stationary that I admitably never unpacked!

I had a great 1st year with my little family and am very thankful for our very supportive families! I think my parents visited almost once a month the past year and always insist Melvin and I get some time to ourselves to go for dinner. Hah we don't always accept as we don't want to miss out on any Charlotte time either!! My little 6lbs baby has grown into a 17lbs toddler and I wouldn't have things any other way! I always planned to go back to work, and I do feel a little guilty at times, but I'm not the first woman to tackle the working mom role and I won't be the last!! I can't wait to see what this year brings and how much we grow as a family (by that I DO NOT mean with another baby...)

I leave you now with Charlotte's first picture that I have on my blackberry and one that was taking last week on our way to the Doctor's for her 1 year appointment!!

It's been too long!!

I can't believe I have posted anything in almost 3 months!! My friend Lisa started a blog today over at http://torontofitmom.wordpress.com/, and her post inspired me to get back in the saddle!!
What's been going on?
Well, I went to Mexico the first week of March with the Body Conditionning by Dancers group. Check out our fearless leader Eva Redpath here http://www.evaredpath.com/ There was 16 of us (all women) and we had a blast. We would wake up every morning for poolside yoga at 6:30 am, have breakfast, hang by the pool and then meet up for Beach Bootcamp at 11, have lunch and back to the pool, end the day with a run on the beach or around the resort, shower and supper. Now that doesn't sound like fun to everyone I'm sure, but it was a great experience! We also did some self developpment/transformation work while sipping on some exotic juice or coffee. Thankfully, Charlotte was in great hands! Melvin took a few days off work and my mom came down to spend most of the week with her. I think everything had a blast!
A few days after I got back, my dad and grandma arrived and we had a small party to celebrate Charlotte's 1st Birthday!! I stressed so much for her cake, ended up making a boxed PC Organic cake which my mom expertly iced just for Char not to have any interest in it at all!!
Last week, Charlotte started transitionning to day care! Today was her 4th "day"and she was there for morning snack, walk and lunch. Wednesday we add on nap and Friday is a full day. Then it's back to work for me and full time day care for her! People keep saying to me "ohhh she's going to daycare????" and they make it sound like the saddest thing ever! I was always planning on going back to work, and we didn't want to go the nanny route. I did alot of research on day cares and I can see how much fun Charlotte and the other kids have. The women are great and super friendly. Yes, I'm sad to leave her, but I'm leaving her in a great place where she will thrive and make new friends!
While she's there, I'm getting organized for back to work!! I needed a new wardrobe and I really want to have our meals planned for the week so suppers are easy peasy. We also bring our lunches, so I need that to be ready the night before! Any suggestions are welcome!!
That's all for now, I'm off to portion the chicken breasts I bought today.
I will be posting more often I promise!!!

Home Sweet Home!

Well the holidays are over and here we are. Back home in Toronto and still no snow!
We decided to drive the whole way back without breaking it up. Charlotte was pretty good, had a few rough spots, but we all made it!

The new year usually means new year resolutions. I have a few this year:
1: Get back to eating healthy, for real! We are pretty good most of the time, but I know we can eat better! Charlotte eats everything healthy and I know she doesn't understand yet, but I want to make sure we are good role models for her as she gets older
2: Get our house organized, for real! We've lived here for a year and half. I was pregnant when we moved, and then it was Christmas, then it was time to do the baby's room, then Charlotte was born. We have come a long way, but again, we have a long way to go! We have started a list of things that need to be done and we will get them done!

I can't believe it's already January, that means I have to go back to work in just a few short months, literally since February is a short month - I know, it's only a day, but at this point, every day counts! I have a new manager at work, and I've been emailing her this morning to confirm my start date! I go through waves of excitement and sadness! But I know I'm not the first woman to do this and I won't be the last!

Melvin and I got quite a few new gadgets over the holidays. As I mentioned before the sales were pretty good! I plan on trying them all out and blogging about it in my next post!

My next challenge is to start weaning Charlotte. She is mostly sleeping through the night, but she wakes up anywhere between 5-6am, eats for maybe 2-3 minutes and goes back to sleep for 1.5 hours. That's good when she doesn't wake up until 6, but up for the day at 630 is tough!! Since I know it's a complete comfort feed, we will get rid of that first and then start dropping one feed a week and replace it with a bottle. She likes the bottle so it shouldn't be too hard.We will keep the morning feed for last. Updates to follow!!

The Holiday

We've been in Timmins for nearly a week and we haven't stopped! Charlotte's first Christmas was amazing! She got so many new toys and was the highlight of everywhere we went!

Melvin and my dad got up at 5am on Boxing Day to hit the sales at Future Shop. My dad was there 3 times before 7:30! The first round they got: a laptop for us and a Kobo E Reader for me, and one for my dad. They came home, and my mom decided she wanted her own Kobo. Off my dad went again. Then, when he got home, she decided with all the new toys, they may as well get a new laptop too, so on went the boots and off went Jerry back to the store, with a stern warning this was the last time he was going! Melvin and I went to the Source for 9am to get ourselves or eachother the new iPod touch. We got the last 2!!

It's been pretty cold in Timmins! Yesterday morning it was -40 with the windchill and today it was -30, thankfully no windchill. Charlotte hasn't been out much, but that hasn't stopped me! I think I've been to the mall 3-4 times! And it's just a teeny tiny mall! Ofcourse, I've bought a few things for Charlotte and a few things for Melvin, and possibly a thing or 2 for myself! The sales are pretty good, and there are way less people here than there would be in Toronto!! I bought my first pair of back to work pants at Ricki's last night. It was kind of a bittersweet moment! Happy to see I'm the same size I was before, but sad that back to work is so close I have to start thinking of my wardrobe!! I am way overdue for new work clothes though and they were 70% off!!

My obsession/collection of David's Tea has gotten a little out of control. I had ordered some tea online last week and had it sent here, I got some in my stocking + the stash I have at home. I will be drinking tea until Charlotte leaves for University! My mom got me the David's Tea Timolino (http://www.davidstea.com/timolino-travel-mug-with-infuser), the lady at the store told her the tea would stay warm for 2 days. We are going on 3.5 hours with just boiling water and it's still steaming! It'll be interesting to see tomorrow morning!

My new fascination is sewing. Before I came to town, I bought a pattern for reusable sandwich bags (think fabric Ziplocs but with velcro) on Etsy. I bought this pattern without having a sewing machine and any idea how to sew, but with big plans to make them! Thankfully my grandma just happened to have an extra machine around the house and my mom has some experience sewing. I bought everything I need today to make 10 bags. So we will see how they turn out! Pictures to follow!!

Charlotte is tiring everyone out, but having so much fun playing with all her toys! Melvin is napping, or I should say gone to bed, since it's 8:15, my mom is on the floor playing with the Little People House and my dad is recovering from his earlier game of catch with Char! It's almost PJ and bottle time though. And then I think everyone else will be heading to bed shortly after!

Next up is my friend Roxy's wedding reception on New Years Eve!!! Then it's home time and back to the grind! Or well, swimming lessons and mommie and baby fitness for us!

I can't find where Melvin has hidden the pictures on this new computer, but here is Charlotte playing with her toys Christmas morning!

Where do I begin??

This Friday, we are leaving for Part 1 of our drive to Timmins. We decided to spend the night in North Bay to cut the drive in half. My Mommy and Baby Fitness instructor is having a holiday party on Friday morning, Melvin and the dogs are picking Char and I up and we are leaving from there. That means I have to be packed and ready to go Thursday night, or get up and rush around Friday morning. I think not. I've been making randoms lists for the last week or so in an attempt to get organized. Thankfully Melvin is self sufficient and can pack for himself. That just leaves me the 2 dogs, Char, myself and all the goodies we are bringing. The dogs are easy; food, leashes and a blanket for the car. Charlotte may be tiny, but she sure doesn't travel light! We have my mom's pack and play for the hotel, pump, bottles, medicine (just in case), clothes, extra clothes...the list goes on. Thankfully, my mom keeps an extra supply of bath soap, towels, wash clothes and my grandma already got us a case of diapers! Then there's me. I want to go running in Timmins, I have a wedding reception, snow boots, nice flat boots...Oh and did I mention both Melvin and Charlotte have a cold? It's been a fun week and it's only Tuesday!! Today, we are doing some last minute errands at Costco for my mom and picking up a few last minute gifts. I'm also trying to finish everything in the fridge, so dinners might get interesting by the end of the week!!

I am excited to spend the night in a hotel though. North Bay has a few pet friendly hotels so we are lucky! Although, I can picture Oreo peeing on everything, and Rambo barking at every single noise all.night.long!! We are hoping to get there early enough we can take Charlotte down to the pool and we can show off her skills to daddy since he hasn't been able to come to swim class since it's during the week. Then, we will be up bright and early Saturday morning to finish off our drive and get to Timmins! My dad has already warned everyone that he gets Charlotte first since my mom was just here last weekend, that's fine, until she gets hungry! That's my excuse!! I miss her when there are lots of people around! hah but she did surprise me last weekend with my mom and grandma. She cried and just wanted a few cuddles from her mommy!!

My goal this Christmas is to NOT get sick! I dodged this last cold going around, there is no Taco Bell in Timmins (nasty experience when I was 6 months pregnant last Christmas - ask my mom) and I learned my lesson with the raw cookie dough last weekend (again, ask my mom - she seems to visit at all the right times!) I do plan to go running a few times as long as it's not too cold. When I was in Timmins this summer I ran 8 out of 12 days and I still gained 8lbs!!

Charlotte is napping in her crib now, so I should get packing, instead, I will sit here and watch Marilyn Denis and plan my lists! Going to Costco a week before Christmas is enough for one day!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Well it's Official!

Charlotte has officially been enrolled in day care for April 2012! I called 2 day cares in our area back before she was even born in March. Some friends had told me to get on waiting lists as soon as possible. We recently visited the 2 day cares we were wait listed for. The first one was nice and clean, but just didn't feel like it could be a home away from home for Charlotte. The 2nd and winning daycare is called Curious Caterpillars. They were so welcoming from the minute we walked in the door and Charlotte even got to participate in a music class! It's a brand new building and the centre just opened in July! They have music classes once a week, do arts and crafts, learn french and sign language and the organic food is catered in daily! We were in love! Well as in love as I could be with a place that is not my arms for Charlotte! There was one remaining spot so we had 24 hours to decide. Not much of a decision really, we were only on those 2 waiting lists and we had visited both, what's the difference between deciding now or in a few months? I just came back from dropping off the signed papers and Charlotte will slowly start transitioning in March! She is also guaranteed a spot in the toddler room once she's 18 months and again in the pre school room when she's a bit older, but I can't even think about that yet. I get all teary eyed when I come within 5kms of the daycare! Seriously though, I know she will be a good fit for them, and them for her. She was so happy during the music class and me NOT going back to work was never a real option. I like my job, and the people I work with. Plus, a 2nd income never hurt anyone! My mom's advice was "as long as it's somewhere you can drop her off and feel comfortable going to work everyday" and Curious Caterpillars is that place for us!

In other news, my mom and grandma are on the way here to spend the weekend with us! We have lots of shopping planned and Melvin and I have a date night on Saturday! We are going to the Keg!! I can't wait!!

I've been enjoying my 24 days of tea calendar! Sure, there have been a few cups down the drain, but better a cup than a whole bag or tin!!

I'm off now to cuddle my baby for the next 4 months before I have to abandon her!