Hanging with St. Nick

Ho de ho ho ho...

So Santa's come to town, and even though we are doing an Asian-themed December, we had to pop into the wretched mall to get this shot. Not so much for now, but I know she'll probably like to look at it when she's an oldster. I know I always liked looking at the old Santa pics that we shoved into the xmas decoration boxes.

Crazy how pale she is. I swear, this kidlet is the whitest person in Toronto.

Happy Holidays!

Sled It!

This morning we decided to head into the backyard and squish the snow down and have a bit of a slide on the very very slight incline under the apple tree.

Snow is cold. But sliding is good fun!

First Snow

Yes, the responsible thing is to tuck her into bed.

But first snow only comes once a year, and when you are less than a year old yourself, it's an occasion worth blowing off sleep patterns.

V Skypes!

Attention V Fans: The Dynamic Duchess is now web-cam enabled and available to share her various musings via video chat!

This video was the first test for the new webcam, which is now up and running. We're using Skype as webchat program of choice, and V loves squawking at the blue light and seeing who all is trapped in the laptop screen.

If you would like to have a cozy vidchat with La Gremlin and a supervisory adultish person of your choice, email me and I'll give you our Skype user info.

Congee Congo!

With a big trip coming up soon, we're all breaking out our table manners and getting used to eating at restaurants. Here's V's first time ordering a la carte: congee at the super kickass dumpling joint Mother Dumplings in Chinatown.

Science Sunday

Sunday afternoon at the Science museum - the toddler area boasts fish!

Arachnid of Truth!

While Halloweens come and go, the photos will linger...forever!

One Minute Bounce!

Jump! Might as well...

V Holds Court

Here's Miz V keeping the party going with her patented party patter...

Brunching McNab Style

Here's a long, but entertaining clip of V sitting with Grandma Nab at brunch.

Van Travel Review

The past weeks have slipped by very very fast - but here at last are some visuals from the October jaunt to BC. Enjoy!

First Taste

We're into the uncharted terrritory of solid food.

(I say solid, but it's really more of a slurry.)

Big video for a big development!

Then and Now

So, how big is she now? In answer to that question, I present two photographs.

The first one was taken at the Toronto Criterium, the cycle race held on May 30 - she was around 6 weeks or so. The second was taken this weekend, October 4 (to mark by events, the afternoon of Nuit Blanche) at roughly the same place outside St Lawrence Market. She's approximately 5 1/2 months, nearly 6 months.

So that's how big she is now. Happy October!

An Important Message from Miz V

Brunching with Sir Cedric

The weekend also featured brunch with Sir Cedric - who is whirling dervish of little mandom. But for all his high energy toddler action, he was very good with Miz V, gentle and still wanting to play with her. Here are some images of the two troublemakers...

Shoes and Chairs

This week Miz V acquired two new items that are signs of things to come.

Item One: Shoes. Fall is closing in fast, and as the air gets that electric crispness, the barefoot look goes out. The shoes we have in waiting are still a bit big, so for now we have the first pair of Robeez, the legendary "don't fall off" leather slippers. V appreciates their leathery teething goodness.

Item Two: High Chair

Next month Miz V starts solid foods. And since it's easier to process one new thing at a time, we're getting used to sitting up in a tall chair first. So far this new seat is a smash hit - it's got a cool tray to play on, and it's fun to sit up and see what's going on.

V Meets and Greets

In the past few weeks, V's dance card has been full up. People from all over the country made the trek to pay their respects. So here's the social calendar update:

First, Montrealer cousin Mark was in town on business, so he popped over for dinner and to hobnob with the little gremlin. He brought a fitting tribute in the form of an adorable sleeper and a plush ladybug, the latter quickly entering the "teething chew toy" rotation.

Then, Sudbury cousin Lisa was in town for business, and stayed with us for a few days, giving V ample time to do that voodoo she does so well. Walks and books were enjoyed by all!

And to top off the visitor frenzy, Edmontonian Keri popped into the Big Smoke for a conference, and spent Saturday hanging out in the Beach with V and L.

In all, it's been just a great few weeks of networking!

Tasty Technology

If I consume it, will I become it? Will I harness its awesome power as my own, or will the device ensnare my soul?

(sorry, long days of baby-dandling leave one seeking existential dialogue)

Miz V (and friends) Support Democratic Debate

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Let's hear from everyone, not just the usual suspects.

Devouring Literature

Knowledge is Power! Also, books can relieve tooth pain!

Raspberry Chat!

A frank and lively debate with bebe. Enjoy!

Naked Couch

Somebody (no names) has been spewing all over the sofa for the past four months. So this week we washed it. In the washing machine. I freaking love Ikea.

Geeky September Song

Greetings V-fans!

Summer does not linger long, and we are now into the "roll up your sleeves and get back to work" spirit of September. Done is the mad dash travels and lazy cottage days - it's time to get down the the serious business of turning five months old next week. With age comes wisdom and responsibility, so I thought we should take a few moments to detail the new features being launched with Miz V 5.0...and to be as geeky as possible, I shall name them as D&D character traits (without numeric values, as I can't find my dice).

First, Physical Abilities:

Strength: Big leaps forward here - recent accomplishments include: holding up her own head, pushing up her upper body when lying on her stomach, pulling L's hair very hard until she yelled a bad word, pulling on fingers to sit up, and kicking a very heavy cookbook off the counter.

Dexterity: This area shows the greatest advancements and promises big things in the coming months. Notable achievements include: grabbing things with one hand, transferring objects from one hand to another, balancing on two feet with adult support, putting things directly in her mouth without passing Go or collecting $200 (she prefers her fingers to soothers, so she seems to have made hand/eye coordination something of a developmental priority), balancing in a seated position with adult support, actual jumping in the Jolly Jumper, attempting to use the front of the adult holding her as a rockwall for experiments in unharnessed climbing.

Constitution: Praise whoever, she's still very healthy and strong. She is teething with a vengeance though...nothing broken through, but it's clearly no fun to have bones trying to cut soft tissue. She chews on a lot of books and blankets. She's enjoying sleep early and often, much to our delight, and eats her fill frequently. Solid food introduction is just around the corner...

And Mental Traits:

Intelligence: She's a pretty thoughtful little gremlin. Time will tell the quality and calibre of those thoughts, but she is very alert and interested in everything going on around her. She does not brook boredom, however, and feels that at her advanced age she has already learned everything she possibly can from car rides, and therefore demands more rigorous intellectual stimulation. At the top of her lungs. Robust, little lungs.

Charisma: Strangers everywhere come up to her and declare her adorable. Some people actually thought she was a doll (which makes me look like a crazy lady who pushes around dolls in strollers, but I digress). She's quite good tempered, still likes meeting people, and is generous with her smiles. She does do grumpy very well too, especially in the afternoons, but overall she's pretty cool.

Wisdom: We're waiting on her words of wisdom, but she's working towards a communication system. She has mastered Dolphin squeaks and has progressed to call and echo raspberry conversations. Also new this fall - consonant and vowel sounds (voluntary and involuntary) such as Doo and Gah!

Based on this, she's probably a Mage or a Thief. We'll wait til she can consult a manual herself to declare a major like that.

As for Alignment, the jury's still out. But my money's on Chaotic Neutral - she'll keep you guessing til the end.

Cottage Highlights

We're back from the road trip! Above, some highlights!

Dude.

Sweet. V and uglydoll chill with bebe shades. hooray for end of season racks!

Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty

While the gals were away, M got all sorts of things done around the house - including hanging the Grandmas birthday gift to Miz V.

This stained glass panel features the Japanese kanji characters shin jitsu - the closest translation for Verity.

I will let the beauty of the image speak for itself. Clearly, this is an instant heirloom.

Thank you again, Grandmas D and L, for this remarkable, generous gift. It is hanging in the dining room window (currently flanked by the summer blackout shutters, but in the fall will stand alone) and Miz V likes looking at in and making dolphin noises. I interpret them as approval.

EXCITING!!

This short clip summarizes how much fun was had in BC!

Vancouver the Second

More photographic highlights of the Vancouver visit!

Zerberts with Sonya

Zerberts + Sonya = bubbles!

Getting in the Swim

Here are some shots of Miz V's first foray into aquatics. Huzzah for splash pools! We're now looking forward to starting lessons this winter

Kenna Bounce Moment

Kenna Bounce Moment. 'Nuff said.

Walkabout

Big highlights of the BC trip were the walks we took out in the Maple Ridge area. On Saturday, V rambled to North Beach with Laura and the Aunties Kenna and Sonya and SuperUncle T, then on Sunday (a much warmer day) we all set out again, this time adding Grandma McNab, Auntie Hanifa, Coz Nathan and Unca Richard to the crew, exploring the Cliff Falls area of Kanaka Creek. Dang, it is pretty - and since Miz V loves her the trees, these were very exciting outings indeed! Below - a quick slideshow of some photographic highlights...

Dancing With The Stars

This longish clip features Miz V getting down with her bad self and Grandma McNab and second cousin Erica. Note the minor chaos around. Brunch with the McNab/Roald/Gallaghers is rarely zen!

Fireside Chat with Grandma McNab

Miz V worked the room very hard this evening - she very clearly wanted to capture and hold Grandma McNab's attention. Note the hilarious flailing limbs.

Vancouver The First

It’s been a crazy few days – V has been in full social butterfly mode since the plane touched down on Monday morning. Here’s a few photographic highlights….

If you want print-worthy files of any of these, just let me know and I'll send them your way.

SURPRISE!

Here’s the footage of a shocked SJ Ferguson meeting Miz V for the very first time. You see, to get back at SJF for SHOWING UP WITHOUT WARNING to the bebe wine and cheese back in March, Miz V and I decided to turn the tables and just appear on her doorstep. Check it out, she was actually (briefly) speechless!!

Diving Belle

Row row row your boat…or at least enjoy the ride.

MEC lifejacket = water fun! Plus, makes her look like a daisy.

Time to hit the lake!

New Wheels

As Miz V settles into her third month on planet Earth, she has enough neck control to sit up for measurable periods of time. This is excellent news, not simply from a development standpoint, but also from the child-conveyance-device perspective.

That is to say, she can now fit into a lightweight stroller.

It's umbrella time! While her apple green convertible pram is still the bees knees as far as we're concerned, it is a bit broad in the beam. Wide. Spacious. Roomy. It is awesome for big outings, but would make serious enemies on public transit. So, let's explore options...Which lightweight stroller should she fit into? Which would fit our budgets? Which would Laura be able to push without unleashing a string of expletives at her darn thumbs? There was much debate and research around the realm, with many websites scoured and product reviews scrutinized...

We spent the morning running the gauntlet of stroller showrooms. Miz V was very patient about being plunked into seat after seat like a sack of flour, poked and prodded by one 5 point harness after another. In the end, her favourite was the same as mine: the Maclaren Quest Mod.

I like it because it corners like a Porshe on rails, and I can collapse it with one hand. This was the only two handled stroller that I could steer without twinges of pain. It also feels very sturdy - the knock-offs we checked out seemed ready to disintegrate in a slight breeze. But it's quite light - around 12 pounds. It should work for the next three years easy.

Miz V likes it because it goes fast. The girl has a need for speed, my friends.

Shaking my head, I refuse to tell you what I paid - suffice to say that since it was the 2007 model, the inflated retail price had been reduced by $95...but on the bright yuppie side Miz V at last has her British brolly stroller and can hold her head high among the Bugaboo set...cross your fingers the other 3 month olds don't taunt her for having last year's graphic print...(please note the previous comments are extremely sarcastic and should be read in a heavily ironic tone.)

More places to go!

shameless Dr Horrible plug

This week only!!! Joss Whedon and pals put on a supervillain musical!

Miz V gives it two thumbs right up the nose!

Jump Around! Jump Around!

jump up jump up and get down!

As her neck gets stronger, Miz V gets to try more extreme sports every day. The Jolly Jumper was a very welcome gift from Lis Unger and family, and V now gets to spend a little time each day working off her little person aggression.

This clip is sideways. Pretend it's arty.

Matt built a little contraption to fit the hook, as our antique house has irregular doors. Also, this picture shows the scale of bebe to doorframe and coffee table.

She's still a wee thing. But bouncy!

hand update

Bringing everyone up to speed on my hand recovery...the carpal tunnel syndrome is almost entirely resolved. My dexterity and nerve sensitivity are virtually restored, and the swelling is gone. Mostly. But nothing worth mentioning most days.

The DeQuervain's, however, has more stamina. The thumbs are still ranked somewhere between sore and excruciatingly painful, depending on the moment. I have braces designed to support the thumb that allow me some movement, and aren't too rough, so I can hold the bebe. They do get very very hot, so I am wearing them less and less. Mostly for driving, pushing strollers, picking up stuff. There's not much else I can do, other than mild anti-inflammatories and keep splinting. Anecdotal evidence from the 2 other people I've met who had this shows that the condition should correct within a year. I'd keep my fingers crossed, but that's bound to aggravate it.

On the good news side: my rings (which had to be cut off back in October when the swelling threatened my fingers) are back from repairs. It's good to have them back!

Fergalicious!

It was a Fergus weekend, full of food, conversation, relaxation and bebe-dandling. Miz V had a lovely time hanging out with Grandma Linne:and showing off her bumbo-enabled table manners to Grandpa Harvey:
Miz V slept great in the Pack N Play, and was relatively well-behaved for the kind neighbour Linda, the intrepid babysitter who watched over her while we all took in a unique opera concert at the Elora Festival. Huzzah for successful visits - and for reaching the 3 month milestone!

eat!

So for the past three months, I've been the sole source and provider of food for Miz V. And while we enjoy each others company, it's time that we have more options. Specifically, this weekend Matt and I have our first "no bebe"event - the Kiri Te Kanawa concert at the Elora Festival with Matt's folks. Miz V will hang with a neighbour. And we don't want her to starve or worse - fuss.

So this week we've accelerated the process of introducing bottle feeds. The pump is my new constant companion. And V has rejected bottle after bottle. Loudly and with extreme prejudice. What to do? To the internet!

And a few googles later, I decided to swallow my sticker shock and try this:

No, it's not a condom.

What this is, in fact, is an Adiri Natural Nurser Ultimate Baby Bottle. According to the website,

The Natural Nurser Ultimate Baby Bottle is made from high quality 100% polycarbonate-free and bisphenol-a free materials that is warm to a child’s cheek, like a breast, when filled with warm milk. A patented nipple design helps alleviate nipple confusion for breastfeeding babies. Shaped like a breast, they encourage the same type of open-mouthed latching that is required for breastfeeding, making bottle feeding and breastfeeding more easily interchangeable.

Shaped like a breast? Warm to the cheek? Wacky! Turns out Miz V is very much her father's daughter when it comes to firm preference for the well designed and executed . I.D. (International Design) magazine chose this bottle as one of their Design Review winners for 2008, right alongside the iPhone in the Consumer Products category. And while the price is high, we haven't much storage space anyhow, so having one or two bottles in use is infinitely preferable to a kitchen full of bottles and gadgets that make her howl.

She doesn't love it, but more important - she doesn't hate it. And it does seem comforting.

It was funny, this evening she let Matt give her the bottle, but she kept her eyes locked on me as if checking to see that it was okay to eat without me.

So, more options! I just think it's funny she refused all traditional bottles and settle for this odd new device. We have an early adopter on out hands...

Under the Blanket.

Goofing with Miz V on the dining room table. Right now, a burp blanket is the best toy going.

Book Time! Black on White

Reading, or rather, interpreting Black on White. The video is about 2 and a half minutes long, and features an impromptu sneeze - I suppose in response to the overwhelming fan support for video of sneezes. What can I say, the bebe knows how to pander. Can't imagine where she gets that from.

V meets the Mango

Matt's buddy Michal and his family came over last weekend for bbq and to hang out. Michal commutes downtown in a Mango velomobile. He brought it by as he's sold advertising for the sides and was applying decals. Matt decided to let V sit at the wheel and start getting a feel for the type of vehicle she has to look forward to when she grows up, given the direction of fuel costs.

V loved it! She sat in it for over twenty minutes, kicking and gurgling and looking around. The narrow recumbent seat was at the same angle as her blue bouncy chair, so she just kept kicking and jiggling.

Doyle was less enthusiastic, and would prefer the Mango not occupy his driveway.

This video shows the Mango and the Kapral family working on the decals. Featured are Michal, his wife Dianne, their older girl Annika and younger girl Lauren. And seated at the controls - Miz V. Note that she has almost kicked off the purple socks Grandma Donna made her

happy drum dance

Goofing off in the garden - Miz V playing with Matt. Features belly drumming and an attempted backstroke. Good times...

Chillin' in my crib

Miz V relaxing and admiring her quilt. She's very into zebras this week.

Rockstar Name

Your Rockstar Name Is...

Bunny Vicious

What's Your Rockstar Name?

Verity and the Whale

This is the best video I've been able to capture of Miz V's flirtation with a big blue whale. Apologies for the resolution.

My DJ Name

Verity Glen Thomson spins tunes as DJ Deep Bubbles Get your dj name @ Quiz Meme

Reading at the Library

A rainy afternoon is a great time to go check out the newly refurbished local library - now featuring a huge kids section, almost the whole basement, and includes a baby/toddler reading room. And so, today Miz V took out her first library books, after choosing the ones she thought looked interesting. Above video is her reaction to a board book full of baby eye candy (other baby faces).

Baby's First Boat Ride

Last weekend we went out to Toronto Island and RCYC to have dinner with Matt, who was crewing in a regatta. This shot is the two of them playing on deck.