I like to blame my loss of brain cells on the fact that my daughter robbed me of them when I was pregnant. I find comfort in knowing that maybe...just maybe carrying her in my womb for several months stripped me of all intelligence. You know...We shared the same food supply, so maybe we shared a brain? Wishful thinking on my part, I guess!

Well, I've discovered that toddlers are indeed smarter than adults.

Case(s) in point:

My three year old nephew was in my Dad's garden feeding the goat.
My sister-in-law: Wow! That goat is eating a lot! What a piggy! Oink! Oink!
Three year old nephew: (laughing) Mommy's silly! That's not a pig! It's a goat!


After not seeing my twin nieces in months, they were up for a visit. Forgetting that children sometimes make strange when they haven't seen people in a while, I lunged forward to cuddle my Goddaughter. She didn't cry, but it was clear that she wasn't sure she wanted to be cuddled by this strange woman she hasn't seen since March.
Me: (Looking at my three year old nephew) I'm so sad! I don't think your sister remembers me!
Three year old nephew: I think Brookie is shy.

Having to go to the bathroom but not wanting to leave my toddler unattended, I paused to think of whether I seek out a family member to watch her or take her to the bathroom with me. My three year old nephew looked at me as I thought out loud.
Three year old nephew: You can go to the bathroom. I'll watch her. I'll take care of her.

My adorable little nephew smiled and squealed in delight as he played with his cousin, Little One.
Three year old nephew: I love [insert Little One's real name here]! Her is such a sweetie! Her has beautiful eyes too!
(Seriously! What three year old says things like that!?! Absolutely precious!)

After my cousin's wedding, we were looking at photos on the digital camera. Some of the photos were really funny, as our family is fun-loving, amazing, and completely crazy. There was a photo of my sister-in-law, cousin, the girlfriends of my male cousins and my youngest brother's girlfriend. We were all drinking wine and had a bit too much wine that night.
Three year old nephew: (laughing hysterically at one of the photos) ALL DRUNK!!!

Ahhhh! I don't want my twin nieces and three year old nephew to go home! I want to freeze our time together forever! I don't want to let go our days together. They are so, so, so sweet! I love my little K-town munchkins!

Ever since Little One's birth, Mount Sinai Hospital and Sick Kids Hospital have had a special place in our hearts. Without the two hospitals (and our local hospitals on the Island and in Sudbury), Little One probably would not be where she is today...

Happy.
Healthy.
Alive.
Here with us today.

Thanks to the medical team and staff at both hospitals, Little One is doing great and after spending the first 70 days of her life in the NICU, she is at home and in our arms.

I recently heard about another Island mom whose infant son was also in the NICU (but at Sick Kids). During her pregnancy, a blood test showed that her son had *Trisomy 13. He only lived a few days.

Reading the family's story just sent me into a crying fest. I remember all too well what it was like to live in fear that something would happen to the baby was I was carrying inside me. I remember the worry, anxiety and fear I felt every single day that I was in the NICU. I maintained a positive outlook on things, but those feelings and concerns were real. I totally sympathized with the mother who lost her son too soon. Melissa Dawn Roy is a wonderful, strong, spirited mother and has continued to do what she can for those who helped her son in his first and last moments with her.

Through Project Sweet Peas, Melissa has been working on numerous projects in honour of her son, Bennett. The most recent fundraiser is a benefit concert in Bennett's honour. The most touching this is that 100% of proceeds go towards the NICU at Sick Kids and helping families with babies in the NICU.

Please come and show your support. It's for a good cause.

For concert information or other ways you can show your support, click on the following links:

http://projectsweetpeas.com/NimkeeBlessings.aspx
http://nimkee-blessings.blogspot.com/
http://nimkee-blessings.blogspot.com/p/introducing-bennett.html

NIMKEE BLESSINGS & INTRODUCING BENNETT

SUNDAY, SEPT 5th at Gordon's Park (18777 Hwy 6), Tehkummah, Manitoulin Island! We will have lots of great entertainment for young and old alike, & fun things for the kiddies to do!

ALL PROCEEDS go to helping families with babies in the SICK KIDS HOSPITAL NICU in Toronto, Ontario.


*Trisomy 13 syndrome is a disorder of human chromosomes which occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 live born infants. Trisomy 13 is due to the presence of an extra #13 chromosome. Possible complications: Heart defects, brain defects, cleft lip, cleft palate. The most severe are visual abnormalities, omphalocele, Proboscis and holoprosencephaly.(Source: http://www.livingwithtrisomy13.org/what-is-trisomy-13.htm)

I recently posted on my other blog about the little quandary I was in. I hate to say that I have been in a rut. A hairstyle rut.

Living in the country, there aren't the pressures I once had to keep up with all the latest styles or to maintain a fashionable hairdo all the time. It's not the same as when I lived in the city. Life is more laid back here, and frankly...no one cares if you have your hair in a ponytail all the time. I've also been preoccupied with work, the toddler, the husband, the household, the farm, and everything in between. I know it's no reason to take five minutes out of my day to splash on some make up or get to the salon for a fresh cut. No excuses.

I try not to succumb to the material or outer beauty, but let's face it...It does feel absolutely fantastic when you do nice things for yourself. Every woman needs to pamper herself. When you look good, you feel good. Right? Plus, who am I kidding? There's still that part of me that LOVES make up (especially lip glosses and eye shadow!), purses/handbags, shoes, and clothes! I've tried to quell these lusts since I married a farmer and now live in a small rural community.

Well, I went and did the unthinkable. I'm normally a boring person when it comes to my hair. "Just a trim, please" and nothing too fancy. Well, I did two things I normally wouldn't ever do.

1. I went to a new hairdresser. My regular hairdresser just had a baby, and is taking some time off. Otherwise, I'd have gone to her.

2. I asked the new hairdresser to give me something completely different and out of character. Chop it all off!

SHEARS To The New You is a new salon in Manitowaning. Roomy, bright, and welcoming...It's a great place to just sit back and get that new hairstyle or get those highlights done!

Ashley Case, the owner and hairdresser is cheerful, friendly, professional, and really knows what she's doing! I left the salon feeling like a million bucks! Thanks, Ashley!New salon on the Island !
With Ag & Matrix products to help transform the new you.
Call Ashley Case for an appointment at
(705)859-1161

Check out the SHEARS To The New You fan page on Facebook too!

I am embarrassed to say that I have somewhat neglected myself. I get so wrapped up in taking care of my toddler, my husband, work, students, the home, and everything else...and as a result, I am always placed last.

I don't do this to be a martyr or anything. I just get so busy with everything and everyone else, that I often forget about myself.

I often marvel at how some of my mommy friends have things so "together". They also work, take care of their kids, and still look like they've stepped out of a magazine spread! Me? No such luck. I don't know why. When I lived in the city, I never left the house without make up on. I never just threw on whatever was on hand.

Now, I'm lucky if I even just put on some lip gloss or have socks that match! Heck...I'm lucky if I even find socks in this crazy house!

I made the decision yesterday, that this needs to change. My friend and I packed up our kids, ran some errands all over the Island, had lunch, had a caramel frappe at the Loco Beanz in Little Current and another one at the Loco Beanz in Manitowaning (yes, it's an addiction)...and I got my hair cut.

I needed a new look. I wanted something fresh. Something not like my standard, boring, one length 'do.

This is what I ended up getting done...
Lots of layers, some length in the front, and very, very short in the back. It's something I'm not normally daring enough to do, but I just LOVE it! Gotta love the way you feel after leaving the hairdressers!

It may sound like a trivial thing, but sometimes a good new 'do, a new outfit, and some make up really do boost one's mood and can give some new zip in one's life. Amazing how something so little (like a new hair style) can change one's perspective and give new energy.

One of the perks of being a BornFree Canada Mom Panel Member is that not only do I get to write for a wonderful company, but Little One gets to enjoy some of the perks too. This is perfect for us, because my child seems to have discriminating taste when it comes to soothers and sippy cups. She loves her BornFree training cups, drinking cup and straw cup!I never thought I'd use a soother on Little One, but because she was a preemie, she didn't really develop a strong sucking reflex. The doctors and nurses in the NICU suggested we try her on a soother.

I cried. I didn't want her to ever use a soother. I thought it would interfere with any attempt at breastfeeding her. I thought she'd prefer the rubber nipple and just want to drink from a bottle and not from her Mama.

I was wrong. In our case, the pacifier actually helped with the breastfeeding. Little One soon developed her sucking reflex and became a champion nurser!

She still uses her soother, but only for naps and bed time. I'm okay with that. She's starting to learn that she can survive without her soother and she's pretty good about only taking it for naps and bed time.

Not only does BornFree carry bottles and sippy cups, but they also have pacifiers and teethers! BornFree has Clear Button pacifiers, Clear pacifiers, and CoolFlow pacifiers. Little One uses the Twin pack CoolFlow pacifier. It's an "orthodontic silicone pacifier with a rounded cherry shaped nipple. Made from materials that are 100% free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC, the BornFree® pacifier features a breathable shield with extra large air holes to reduce moisture around the mouth and raised soft edges to protect sensitive skin. Twin pack. Supplied with a hygienic snap-on cap.
Available Stages
Stage 1: 0-6m
Stage 2: 6m+"

Little One seems to like the soothers. I really like that there are extra large air holes! I also like that the pacifiers are easy to clean and are 100% BPA-free/Phathalates-free/PVC-free. Oh, and one more exciting feature is the hygienic snap on cap. I like that I can just snap the cap on the pacifier and throw it in the snack bag or diaper bag (or even in my purse)! What a great idea! Little One also likes the cap! She has been putting it on her soother and taking it off. Too cute!

Thank you to everyone who entered our recent contests. The winner of the BuddyBandz contest is
bigdisneyfan.

bigdisneyfan said...

My son's friend has a nut alergy, this would be great for him.
warnaar-2 at yahoo dot ca

August 17, 2010 4:10 PM

The winner of our THERMOS contest is

clschaan said...

following you on gfc

August 14, 2010 9:31 AM

bigdisneyfan, we will be sending your e-mail address to BuddyBandz so they can give you your gift certificate.

clschaan, please contact us with your mailing address so we can get your prize shipped to you.

Our summer student is going home this weekend. She's been staying with us for the summer while working on the Island as a fish culture technician. Little One will certainly miss her. Little One is her shadow. Whenever the student comes home, Little One gets really excited and runs to her room. They dance to techno music together and just hang out together. I'm going to miss the student too. She's been great help keeping Little One occupied when I cook supper or get things done around the house.

The time has come for her to start the new college semester. As a parting gift, I cooked one of her favourites. SHRIMP!

Yes, she is addicted to shrimp.

I was going to make Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp, but at the last minute I decided to make Sweet and Spicy shrimp instead. Here's the recipe I came up with. It was pretty good for something that I made up as I went along!

C's Sweet and Spicy Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 onion, sliced
vegetable oil
1 carrot, sliced thinly
green beans, cut thinly and on an angle
deveined, uncooked shrimp
soy sauce*
sesame oil*
sugar*
cornstarch, 2 teaspoons
crushed red pepper/chili pepper*

* I don't really measure when I cook. I generally just go by taste. Use as much or as little as you like, depending on your taste.

- In a pot, stir together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper/chili pepper.
- In a pan/skillet/wok, heat veg oil (on medium-high heat). Cook onion and veg until tender crisp.
- Add shrimp and sweet and spicy sauce mixture to the pan/skillet/wok. Cook until sauce thickens and shrimp turns pink and firm, but don't overcook the shrimp.
- You can serve this on top of a bed of piping hot steamed rice. I served this with glass noodles/rice noodles and a salad.

Enjoy!

Little One is a happy kid.

She's our pride and joy. She's everything to us. There has never been a day that goes by when I forget about the miracle that she is. With my high risk pregnancy to her preterm birth, I never take for granted that she is here and that she is a fighter. Thankfully she is a feisty little one...Otherwise she probably wouldn't be here today. Feisty is good...for the most part.

Friends and family always ask us when we're having Baby #2. We constantly get the "Little One NEEDS a sibling", "You should start on a brother or sister for Little One SOON!", "It's good to have your kids close in age" or "You guys aren't getting any younger".

I suppose everyone is right. I mean, this is what happens when your child's only siblings are of the canine and feline variety...
She loves her doggy, Chance.
She loves all the barn kitties too.
She thinks she's one of them.
Sharing her won tons with Spike.
Oh, dear. She even eats like her canine and feline siblings!

Yep. Perhaps it's time to start thinking about having a human sibling for her.

**Photos taken by Hubby's aunt when the family was visiting us on the Island the other weekend. Had I seen my daughter eating off of the floor, I would have stopped her immediately. YUCK!**

Simply on Board, where have you been all my life?!?! Okay, all my life as a Mom!

I hate to admit it, but I'm the kind of Mom that gets grossed out if something falls on the floor and Little One tries to put it in her mouth. This seems to be a regular occurrence though. If her soother or sippy cup falls on the ground, I don't give it back to her.My husband is a farm boy and will tell you that "a handful of dirt a day keeps the doctor away". He is a firm believer in the "30 second rule". Me? Not so much. If you think about it, when you're in the mall or in a store, how many hundreds of people have walked those same floors you have? How many pairs of dirty shoes have walked on those floors? People step in all kinds of gross, germ-filled places. For this same reason, I hate it when people don't take their shoes off when they enter a house. Gross!

With Little One being in the "throwing" stage now, my new best friend is the Simply on Board strap! What a great way to keep all of baby's favourites from ending up on the floor! Simply on Board sent me a set of straps to try out. I've tethered Little One's Sophie the giraffe and her sippy cup to her stroller.The Simply on Board straps come in solid and polka dot fabric. They have Velcro, so it's easy to attach and detach. They come in a double pack (one solid strap and one polka dot strap), and in a variety of colours (pink, black, blue and green).

These make fabulous gifts for a baby shower. I'd say it's a Mommy Must-Have!


Simply on Board is giving one of my readers a set of Simply on Board straps! How awesome is that?

To Win:
MANDATORY - "Like" Simply on Board on Facebook! Leave me a message in my comments section to let me know that you have done this.

Additional entries:
(Please use separate comments per additional entry)

- Follow me @chancesmommy on Twitter and Tweet this contest.
- Follow me on Google Friend Connect (on my sidebar).
- "Like" Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook.
- Grab my button (html code on my sidebar) and post it on your blog. Please send me the link to where you posted it, so I can find you :)

Good luck, everyone! Contest open to Canadian and U.S. residents only. Contest ends September 3rd, 2010.

**CONTEST CLOSED**- The winner (chosen via Random.org) is...

Michelle Proulx said...

hey I "like" the simply on board strap..life would be so much easier with one or 2 of those around especially when I am driving and Gabrielle decides to drop her cup on the floor and then 2 seconds later want it again...it gets very frustrating not to meantion that ist is distracting!!I think that this is a great idea!!!

Michelle, please contact me with your mailing info so we can get your prize shipped to you. Thanks to everyone who entered!

We had our cast party for the Burns Wharf Theatre Players the other week and it was so much fun. Great company, great food, great location, and great times. It was a potluck dinner and since we *did* perform in Gilbert and Sullivan's musical operetta, Iolanthe, I decided I'd make Peers and Fairies cupcakes.

With a toddler running around and destroying the house, and me having to work in the morning, I was a bit too ambitious in my thoughts of making exquisite cupcakes for the party. I ended up just making Private Willis and Iolanthe. For a rush job, they turned out okay.

Not bad, considering I did this all in less than two hours (including baking time). Oh, and there was a *tiny* situation too. Little One discovered that she could push the dining chairs to the table so she could climb on top of them and then hoist herself up onto the dining room table. She then proceeded to sit on the table and help herself to cupcakes. Luckily, I managed to save all but one poor cupcake.

When I said, "[insert toddler's real name here]! Did you eat a cupcake?!" she looked at me (with icing all over her face) and furiously shook her head "No"! What a kid!

I also baked a cheesecake for my Grandmother's 90th birthday on August 11th. Though she celebrated her birthday in the Philippines, I baked a cheesecake in her honour. We ate her birthday cheesecake while talking to her on the telephone.

Little One thinks the idea of "Cheesecake eating & telephone sessions" is pretty odd. I think she was also confused because we were yelling on the phone. Great-Grandma was having a difficult time hearing us, and the long distance connection was terrible.

Happy 90th Birthday, Mommy! We love you!

In case you're wondering who that girl is beside Little One, that's our summer student! :)

I remember my Mom packing my Dad's lunches in his Thermos lunch box when I was a kid. He had this retro looking orange lunch box with a Thermos that Mom put either coffee in or soup for lunch. Either way, the image of Dad taking his lunches to work has always stuck in my head.

That was back in the late 70's - early 80's.

Dad's lunchbox looked something like this:
As kids, my brother and I used to tote our lunch boxes to school for lunch. I had a metal Holly Hobbie lunch box and Thermos. I also had a Strawberry Shortcake one.Middle Bro had two lunch boxes as well. Thunder Cats and Transformers.

I find it quite amazing that decades later, we're still using Thermos products! I mean, that is a true testament to the Thermos quality. Though I love the vintage lunch box sets, the new Thermos products are fabulous!

Thermos makes everything from coolers, insulated grocery bags, food jars, hydration bottles to lunch kits!

Thermos sent me this awesome Urban Elements™ Upright Lunch Kit to review.Features:

• Iso-Tec™ superior insulation keeps food fresh
• Heat-sealed, leak-proof PEVA lining
• Multiple storage pockets
• Adjustable shoulder strap
• Durable, easy-care fabric

I love that this lunch kit has a liner that is PVC-free. It's also the perfect size for packing healthy lunches. What better way to have a garbage-less lunch? Store all food in containers and beverages in hydration bottles. No garbage! It's also a great way to teach your kids to practice green living.

The liner is great. It really does keep food and drinks cooler for longer! When we go out, I always pack food and drinks for Little One. This is perfect!Thermos also sent me a Vacuum Insulated Food Jar to test.
Features:

• TherMax® double wall vacuum insulation for maximum temperature retention, hot or cold.
• Retains cold temperatures for 9 hours, hot - for 7 hours.
• Unbreakable stainless steel interior and exterior.
• Cool to the touch with hot liquids, sweatproof with cold.
• Compact and insulated stainless steel serving bowl.
• Full-size telescoping stainless steel spoon.

It retains cold temperatures for 9 HOURS!!! It retains hot temperatures for 7 HOURS! Unbelievable!!! That's what I thought...until I actually tried it out! It's true! Thermos is true to their word! Yes, what nut would actually test how long a food jar would keep cold food cold and hot food hot? Me!

Now, here's a funny story. My friend was at our house when I was testing the products. Without reading the instructions for the telescoping spoon first, we dismantled the whole thing! When we couldn't put it back together, we went on a rant about how impractical that spoon was. Along comes Hubby, seeing our distress and quickly demonstrates how to operate the telescoping spoon.

Thermos, it was a user error and nothing to do with you. Clearly, reading instructions beforehand is a good idea!

Hubby laughed because there was a sticker on the spoon that very clearly reads: slide to use spoon (or something to that effect).

Of course, Thermos didn't want to leave Little One out and sent her something special too!A Princess Lunch Kit with FUNtainer Food Jar and FUNtainer Bottle! The FUNtainer Food Jar and bottle are perfect for kids, because:

• TherMax® double wall vacuum insulation for maximum temperature retention, hot or cold
• Kid-proof design: unbreakable stainless steel interior and exterior withstands daily wear and tear
• Extra wide mouth is easy to fill, serve from and clean
• Cool to the touch with hot foods
• Fun designs appeal to kids!
• Sweat-proof design won’t leave water rings
• Non-slip, scratch-resistant base

Love it! Not only do FUNtainers keep hot food/beverages hot and cold food/beverages cold, but they are totally kid resistant!

The good folks at Thermos wanted to give one lucky reader something too! A Hannah Montana Thermos Lunch Kit with FUNtainer food jar and FUNtainer bottle!

If you have a special little girl in your house (or if you know a special little girl), enter to win this amazing prize!

To enter:
(Mandatory) Follow @ThermosBrand on Twitter! Leave me a message here and let me know that you've done this.

Additional entries:
For each entry, please leave a separate comment.
- Follow me @chancesmommy on Twitter and Tweet this contest.
- Follow me on Google Friend Connect (on my sidebar).
- "Like" Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook.
- Grab my button (html code on my sidebar) and post it on your blog. Please send me the link to where you posted it, so I can find you :)

Good luck everyone! Contest ends August 21, 2010. Canadian and U.S. residents only.

I received these products from Thermos to review on my blog. The opinions and thoughts on this blog are my own.

Years from now, my blog may no longer exist, but one thing is for sure...

Little One is going to be totally unimpressed with her Mama if she happens to stumble upon this post!

Little One has very sensitive skin. She's always had sensitive skin. This might be TMI, but when she poops a lot or when she is teething, she seems to break out in a diaper rash. Her diaper rashes are not pretty. They're really red and painful looking. So painful that she cries SCREAMS when I try to clean her. **Surprisingly, that facial expression in the photo above is not of Little One screaming. That's actually her scrunchy/HAPPY face!!!**

Thankfully, MomCentral sent us a kit with A+D products to try! In the kit there is one tube of A+D Diaper Rash Ointment and one tube of A+D Diaper Rash Cream.
The A+D Diaper Rash Ointment helps prevent diaper rash from occurring by creating a barrier between baby's skin and diaper moisture. It can be used at every diaper change to prevent diaper rash. A+D Diaper Rash Ointment is dermatologist tested and the formula is paraben-free.

The A+D Diaper Rash Cream can treat diaper rashes, should your child suffer from them. Aside from the zinc oxide, which many diaper rash creams include, A+D is also enriched with aloe vera and vitamins A and D. The aloe vera hydrates and the vitamins A and D moisturize. Again, this product is dermatologist tested and paraben-free.

I have been using the ointment to prevent Little One from getting diaper rash. So far, so good! She did have some redness a few days ago from a combination of A) lots of poopy diapers in one day, B) teething (although some claim that there is no correlation between teething and diaper rashes, I beg to differ!), and C) the heat! With the hot temperature, Little One seems to break out more. The A+D cream worked wonders. The redness disappeared the very next day.

Some helpful info from A+D:
- Change wet and soiled diapers promptly.
- Thoroughly cleanse diaper area, including creases and folds.
- Carefully blot your baby with a washcloth. Avoid rubbing, as it may irritate baby's delicate skin.
- Apply a generous layer of A+D Diaper Rash Ointment on baby's bottom, genital area, and folds of thighs at every diaper changing (to prevent diaper rash).
- Give a liberal coating of A+D Diaper Rash Cream to entire diaper area at every diaper change (if treating diaper rash).

I received an A+D Diaper Rash Protection and Treatment Kit from Mom Central to test/try out. The opinions and thoughts on my blog are my own.

I never ever imagined wanting to stay at home with my kids once I became a parent. I knew I'd go back to work after a year of maternity leave.

Now, the thought of not being able to spend my days with Little One makes me sad. If I could just teach part-time until Little One starts school, that would be perfect.

I don't want to miss out on anything that happens in her life right now. Our time together is just too precious.

I've always wanted to participate in something like this!I know that Kady at hosts Blog Hop Fridays, so I thought I'd check it out. Click on her site and find out more!

The number 12 was chosen via random.org.
Kady L. said...

Follow you on Twitter as AMomsWord
kady@thebeerguy.ca

August 3, 2010 11:35 PM

Kady is the winner of a beautiful piece of wall art from Melanie Bailey Creations. Kady, please e-mail me or FB me with your mailing/shipping address so we can get your prize to you.

...watching True Blood with Hubby's family from out of town. Now, that is awkward!

The entire family (with the exception of Little One, who was already asleep in bed) watched the steamy vampire love scenes (ummm...okay, perhaps "love scenes" is downplaying things a bit. It was pretty hardcore!). Everyone was old enough to watch the HBO show, but it didn't change the fact that it was a bit embarrassing sitting there with Hubby's aunt, uncle, cousins, and his cousin's girlfriend.

The scene with Eric and Talbot...Need I say more!?!

We are happy to announce that Temara Brown is the winner of the Auberge Inn contest/giveaway! You were randomly chosen via Random.Org. Congrats! Please contact us to claim your prize!

Who would have thought that we'd go from this...

to this....
in the span of 21 months?

Yesterday, you turned 21 months old. I still cry whenever I see photos of your very first days. I cry because I'm happy. I cry because I remember those early days in the NICU so very well. They seem like just yesterday, yet at times they seem so long ago.

You will be 2 years old on November 11th. How quickly time flies.

Yesterday, you spent your monthaversary in the "Big Smoke". You dazzled your medical team at your Neonatal Follow-Up. You showed them that you could dance, run, clean up after you've played with toys (something you have never done at home!), colour with crayons, twirl, sing, tell stories, feed a baby doll, and do all kinds of amazing things.

It really is hard to believe that when we first started going to your Neonatal Follow-Ups, you were so tiny. Now, you're pretty much caught up. The Speech Pathologist was very pleased with your ability to communicate. The Physiotherapist was impressed by your range of motion and ability to do so many things that they didn't expect you to do until after you turn 2 years old.

You are still only 21 lbs. We thought you'd be much heavier because of the way you eat. You are an eating machine! Your nutritionist said that we can bump up your fat intake if we want to. They aren't worried about your weight and say that you are well in your range and just have a very fast metabolism. In other words, you are so active and burn off your calories quickly. In any case, we were told to put extra butter on your veggies, potatoes, and bread, and give you milkshakes (with fruit!). The medical team really isn't concerned though. They say you're absolutely fine and not all babies are chubby babies.

The only thing that Mommy is worried about is your night terrors. Apparently, this is not uncommon for wee ones. Your pediatrician said it's due to an active imagination combined with a developing brain. There isn't much Mommy and Daddy can do about this, but keep you safe and comforted. It really is sad and scary to see you screaming in your sleep at night. Hopefully, your night terrors go away soon.

Happy monthaversary, Little One.

Love,
Mommy

I've always prided myself in the fact that we've been extremely lucky that Little One is a good sleeper. The girl values her sleep. She pretty much goes to bed at 9PM and wakes up at 9:30AM. At 20 months old and sleeping so well, I think that is phenomenal.

This said, I've been told my some moms that I put my toddler to bed way too late, but honestly, I'd rather that she go to bed at 9PM and wake up at 9:30AM than go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. These same moms are the ones who complain to me that their kids go to bed at 6:30 and get up at 5AM.

I'm not one for being all playful and energetic at 5AM, so I'd take Little One's current schedule over an earlier one.

I say, whatever works for you and your family is what's best. Yes? I've been trying to shake the whole "You should do this with your child" from others. Quite frankly, every kid is different and every family is different. Little One gets 12 hours of sleep, and that's fine with me! :)

I have learned that pride is not a good thing though. Remember how I prided myself on Little One being such a good sleeper? She sleeps 12 hours a day and takes a nap in the morning and a nap in the evening.

Well, she seems to be dropping her morning nap and in the past week she has been "sleep crying" (as my husband and I have dubbed it). She SCREAMS in her sleep. It's the most heart-wrenching cry ever. Seriously. It is the saddest thing I've ever heard.

I don't know if it's teething, growing pains, or nightmares. She just cries in her sleep. Anyone else experience this with their toddlers? Any ideas what this sleep crying is all about?

I remember being in elementary school and bringing my lunch to school. Mom would sometimes pack a sandwich, fruit, and a drink for us. Other times, we'd get a HOT meal. We looked forward to a hot soup (oh, okay...and sometimes Chef Boyardee's ravioli or spaghetti).

As a kid, I was always surprised that Mom could keep our hot lunches hot! It was all due to the magic of THERMOS.

Almost two decades later (Gah! That makes me feel so old!), THERMOS is now keeping my tiny tot's hot lunches hot. THERMOS also keeps Hubby's coffee hot.

THERMOS has come up with tons of new products that range from Dual Compartment Lunch Kits with microwavable containers to Vacuum Insulated Food Jars. The FUNtainers for kids are sure to make any kid happy!

I'll be writing a review of some new THERMOS products very soon. In the meantime, make sure you join the THERMOS Twitter Party!

Message from the folks at THERMOS: The Twitter Party will be taking place on Tuesday, August 10 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. (EST). You and your readers are invited to join @ThermosBrand for a back-to-school discussion with leading product-safety and food-safety experts. You can participate by using the #ThermosBTS hashtag and will also be automatically entered to win some new lunch kits and FUNtainer products.