Resolutions

It's that time of year so I thought I'd make a couple resolutions.

1. Watch the news daily.  One thing I've really noticed being on maternity leave and in the middle of the winter is that there are days where I don't go outside at all and I have no idea what's going on in the world.  I've decided I really need to start watching the news so I'm not so cut off.
2. Organize my day a bit better.  With a little baby at home I've found that it's real easy to not accomplish anything in the day, I need to set and achieve a few daily goals
3. Finish sending out Thank you cards from the baby shower.  Sorry if you haven't got one yet, I started just haven't finished.
4. Become a Photoshop pro.  For some time I've been wanting to increase my skills and I have a great tutorial I just need to make the time to complete it.

Happy New Year!
L

Cousins

Catie has 6 cousins on the West side and all of them are boys.  Half of them can't be bothered to pay attention to the boring girl that doesn't do anything but the other half sure loves her, none more than her cousin Gage though. 

We walk in the door and he immediately asks, "Where's Catie?"  If he comes upstairs after playing and doesn't see her I get the same question.  He loves to tickle and kiss her and can often be found where she is.    He commented multiple times on how cute she was and was constantly petting her head.  My favorite quote from him was when he said, "She's so cute, where did you find her?"

I put her on the floor at one point and the three boys crowded instantly around her.  There's nothing like cousin love and I hope her and her best cousin Gage continue to have a special friendship.
L

Dry Clean Only

You know how the tag on ties say dry clean only?  Apparently they mean it.
Brad walked into the living room this morning holding this very sad tie that was accidentally run through the wash... good thing it wasn't a favorite.  We had a good chuckle over it.
L

Santa

Bibbed

Lesson Learned, I shouldn't put Catie to bed wearing a bib.

She was all dressed for church in her Christmas dress and I didn't want her to spit up before we got there.  I went back in to get her after her nap and this is what I found.
L

Yum!

I haven't talked about any sort of food on the blog for a while but we had such an amazing dinner last night it's all I can think about.

A couple months ago, in the summer, I had these amazing pulled pork tacos and it created a desire for more delicious pork so I bought a roast, threw it in the slow cooker with some store bought sauce.  When it was done I shredded it and piled it on yummy buns.  It tasted just how it's described, like pork with some store bought sauce thrown on it, nothing special and I was unsatisfied.  The taste was very generic and it could easily have been beef.  Luckily since it had been a big roast I'd only cooked half, meaning I still had another to try again and I was determined to have better results.

This time I scouted out some recipes and found one that included a spice rub, some searing and a homemade sauce.  I figured if I was going to do this I'd do it right so I'd also make a homemade coleslaw to go with it.  I had serious doubts about the coleslaw, the main ingredients where cider vinegar and mustard and we're not huge fans of either but I thought it would go well with the pork rub and sauce so I made it anyway thinking it contained only cheap ingredients and we could toss it if we hated it.

So I rubbed, seared and cooked.  I chopped, whisked and stirred.  We were pretty unsure about the slaw but I didn't want to go halfway so I loaded our buns with lots of yummy pork and topped it generously with the slaw.  What an incredible meal!  The mustard and vinegar were a perfect compliment to the slightly sweet pork and we raved numerous times throughout the meal.  Today's lunch of leftovers was just as good.

My only complaint is that the pork really didn't shred well, I ended up cutting it instead.  The recipe called for cooking in the oven, next time I'd use the slow cooker.

Have I made you hungry yet?  Make your own, it was worth it!
L

Just a Photo

Daddy's Girl

This past semester in school Brad has been really busy so there were often days where we wouldn't see much of him, he'd go to school all day and then have homework at night.  I worried a little that he didn't get to spend much time with Catie, I didn't want either of them to miss each other but Catie has constantly proven that I don't need to worry.  She sure loves her Daddy and shows it by saving her best smiles for him.  She beams when she sees him and they have a good time playing together.  Tonight she gave us her best laughs yet and thought it was so funny to punch Daddy in the face.  It made her smile and giggle until all three of us were near tears.  She then took a horsie ride on Daddy's knee.

This isn't the greatest video but the last couple seconds are worth it, there's nothing better than a babies first laugh.
L

Christmas Continued

I've already mentioned once before what my Christmas Sheets mean to me so I won't repeat myself but you can read about it here.  It's one of my favorite traditions and I happen to have this great Mom who is helping me carry on this tradition with Catie at an early age.

Happy Birthday!

Today is a special day, it's the day the very best Mom and Grandma was born.  I thought I'd take the opportunity to share just why she's so wonderful.

1. She's always willing to have long phone conversations, even when we're talking about nothing some days.  It's rare that more than a couple of days go by without a conversation.
2. She taught me the importance of people over things.  Spills on couches and messes on carpets all meant nothing because the spiller was more important.
3. I've often taken for granted the skills she taught me, I didn't know it was rare to be able to make really good gravy and the best cheese sauce.
4. Someone had to sing the doodily song to Catie and no one does it better than her.
5. No one looks forward to sleepovers more than Mom does with her grandkids.  I'm excited for Catie to have those memories.

Thanks for always being there for me Mom!
L

Video Time

I thought the Grandma's would appreciate hearing the cute noises Catie is making these days so enjoy the video below.  As for the rest of you, don't worry it's only a 30 second video.

L

Bunny

That's right, she's wearing bunny slippers.
L

Perfect

Drooly Girl

Catie seems to have reached the putting everything in her mouth stage. For now it seems to be mostly limited to her hands, Brad and I got a good chuckle as she tried to put her entire fist in. The second laugh came as her frustration grew over not being able to figure out how to put a ring in there. I look forward to watching her learn what else can fit in there.

The one down side is the amount of saliva she's been creating, I knew we'd come to this phase it's just so wet.
L

Frosted Mini Wiebe

Ugg

I stumbled across this great find at Shopper's Drug Mart of all places, sadly this picture was taken moments after I decided they need to be returned. They are a little too big for her feet which would be just fine but the top of the boot just barely fits so by the time the bottom fits the top will be too small. Had they been a couple dollars I'd hang on to them but $10 is too much to justify. This photo will have to serve as a memory of the cute boots that could have been.

Funny anecdote... I really struggled with them the first time I put them on and couldn't figure out why they were so difficult. I finally sort of got them on and took these pictures. It was only as I took them off that I noticed that the toes were stuffed with paper... oops!
L

Video

Andrew shared this video and I was so impressed that I wanted a few others to see it.

For optimal viewing results I recommend making it full screen and turning out all the lights.  Make sure your sound is on, the music is half the beauty.

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Mom, you'll probably think it's boring but Brad and I were amazed and I've already watched it multiple times and researched the facility.

L

I Told You So

Before Catie was born Brad and I worked out a sleep plan and a schedule for her. We wanted to be prepared and it helped build confidence in our abilities.  The final goal of the plan was to get Catie to sleep through the night by 12 weeks.  I was adamant that this was possible though many people scoffed at me and though they wouldn't come right out and say it I could tell they thought I was crazy and were sure that there was no way I would succeed.

As we reached 8 weeks and then 9 I started to have doubts myself but she was always making progress, sleeping in 4 hours stretches and then 5.  Then two nights ago she completely surprised us by sleeping for 7 hours straight.  We celebrated but felt sure it was a fluke.  Last night she surprised us once again... 11 hours!  My 10 week old girl slept for 11 hours straight!  We're so excited and she still has two weeks before my deadline to settle into her new pattern.

Part of me wants to go back to all those disbelievers and  brag a little.
L

Just Because

Thumb Sucker

As previously mentioned, Catie has started to suck her thumb.  After every nap we find her like this.

You'd think it would be more comfortable if she closed her fingers into a fist but she hasn't figured that out yet. 

She also has a really difficult time finding her thumb, it involves a lot of hitting herself in the face.  We love it as we're lying in bed and we hear her stir and then some very loud slurping noises follow as she starts to suck.
L

Awe-struck

I don't know what we did to deserve such an amazing girl. Everyday I'm excited to see her and play with her, I miss her during her naps and I can't get over how perfect she is. She smells so good and she smiles so beautifully and I'm sure I'm not good enough for her. Somehow I was trusted with this little person and I can’t seem to remember life before her.
L

Sucker for a Sale

A couple weeks ago Michelle gave me a $20 gift certificate to Anna Banana (a cute kids store) so today Mom and I headed over and boy did we pick the perfect day.  All clothes were 40% off and there was a rack that was 70% off, we got tons of cute stuff for next to nothing.  Then we went to Children's Place to accomplish the day's goal of shoes for Catie where we found one sale pair and one adorable pink pair, just what ever girl needs.  She's going to be the best dressed girl around so stay tuned for photos. L

THE Shirt

Is it just me or does anyone else have that one shirt that they just can't keep clean.  I can never wear it more than once because I ALWAYS spill on it.  Today was no exception and my chilli stained shirt will have to go in the laundy tomorrow.

L

Another South Beach Motivation Photo

Self Soothing

Last nights feeding brought along a discovery, Catie has found her thumb.

While I don't really want a thumbsucker it sure is cute!

L

New Look

Changing the look of my blog isn't something I do very often but with combining the two blogs it seemed like it was time for a fresh look.
L

Here We Go Again

It's far past time to do something about this baby weight so Brad and I have decided to jump back into South Beach Diet for two weeks. It'll be difficult but I"m excited for the immediate results, I desperately need immediate results.

I'm making a goal of 15 pounds which will not be easy and will require some effort but I'm hoping that a picture or two of where I used to be will be enough motivation.

L

Advanced

According to most development charts Catie is doing awesome. Most charts have three categories: Most Children Can do, Half of Children can Do, and a Few Children Can Do. I'm pleased to report that at two months of age Catie can do everything in the column that only a few children can do. She holds her head steady, bears weight on her legs and lifts her head and shoulders into a mini push-up.

I'm so proud of my girl!

Here's a bonus video, be prepared for the cutest sound you've ever heard.
L

So Sorry

The dreaded day finally came, immunization day.

I know it's a controversial topic but I strongly believe in immunizations. I think they're important for babies health and I fully support them so today I headed over to the health unit with Catie in tow.

Despite my beliefs that this is a necessary step in development it sure was hard! I held my Catie tightly against me, bracing her for what was to come. My poor little girl looked up at me with such surprise on her face right before she started to cry in earnest that it brought tears to my own eyes. It doesn't seem right to hold her down and allow someone to hurt her and I wish there was another way. She's a tough girl though and she did really well only crying for 5 minutes or so before she settled. We'll see how the next day or so go.

As hard as it was, her four month shots are already scheduled though I'm not looking forward to the cries of pain and sad, sad whimpers.
L

Alert

Catie loves to sit up and look around her. If she's ever fussy you just need to sit her up on your knee and 9 times out of 10 she'll be just fine so I figured it was time for the Bumbo and as usual she looks adorable.

L

Family Photos

We took the opportunity yesterday to take some quick family photos, nothing fancy, just something to document the day. Catie looked so cute in her white dress.

It's about time someone got to wear this dress. When my older sister was pregant with her first baby Mom immediatly started making a cute blessing outfit for a girl or a boy. She had a boy so the dress didn't get used. Well that boy is now eight and since Catie is the first grandaughter she's the first to get to use the cute dress made by her Grandma Cathy.

Glad Grandma finally got her girl.

L

Blessing Day

Years and year ago, at least 12, my Grandma O'Reilly made me the cutest little sweater and hat for a baby I would have some day in the future.

I always figured that on blessing day I would pull them out and she would wear them to the church. My Grandma passed away a long time ago so it meant a lot for me to have this cute sweater set. Yesterday being the special day I pulled out the sweater and put them on Catie and she looked like the most adorable goofy girl!

I loved having that little memory of my Grandma, take a look and see what you think.
L

Entertaining

Today I got to use one of the features on our oven, the delayed start.

Catie was blessed today so family came to visit and we were providing lunch after church. We wanted it to be ready right when we got home so we put the potatoes in the oven before we left, set the timer and off we went.

I made sure we practiced multiple times because I've heard so many stories of the oven not turning on, luckily this wasn't a problem we encountered. The house smelled so yummy when we came home and we had piping hot potatoes... yay for fancy ovens!
L

6 Weeks and Counting

I realize that this post is a little late but Catie went for her 6 week check up the other day and the doctor confirmed what I've suspected, that our little girl isn't actually so little.

Her height is right around average, her head size is slightly below average but her weight... she's in the 90th percentile. She was 8 pounds 2 ounces when she was born and 6 weeks later she's 11 pounds 4 ounces. I think I've discovered where she's been carrying all that weight, check out that belly!
L

Importing

If you follow wiebebaby then this won't be a surprise to you but I've decided it's time to combine the two blogs. Initially I wanted to keep them separate but in doing so this site has become completely ignored so posting will resume here shortly but you can expect 95% of them to be about Catie, sorry but that's how 95% of my time is spent these days.

I'm transferring over all of the Baby Blog posts so if you use your reader you can expect an influx of old posts, bear with me.
L

Discovering

It's amazing how every day there's something new with Catie, today she's discovered her hands!

We were playing together with her on her back and she constantly brought her hands in front of her eyes, then to her mouth, then she'd hit her self in the face (lightly) and then they'd go back in front of her eyes. She's so fascinated by them and amused herself for quite some time with these awesome little hands.

Here's a picture of my cute, grown up, 8 week old girl and a bonus of her super cute feet (Grandma Cathy will especially like the bonus photos)
L

Hands!

It's amazing how every day there's something new with Catie, today she's discovered her hands!

We were playing together with her on her back and she constantly brought her hands in front of her eyes, then to her mouth, then she'd hit her self in the face (lightly) and then they'd go back in front of her eyes. She's so fascinated by them and amused herself for quite some time with these awesome little hands.

Here's a picture of my cute, grown up, 8 week old girl and a bonus of her super cute feet (Grandma Cathy will especially like the bonus photos)
L

A Star is Born

I discovered today that the camera flash brings out a cute little grin, enjoy my little star.

A Star is Born

I discovered today that the camera flash brings out a cute little grin, enjoy my little star.

Just One More

Okay I swear these are the last of the Halloween photos, she's just so cute!

This is Catie and her new friend Buttercup.




All tuckered out after a busy day of Trick or Treating.

Banjoed

Catie Cat

I hate Halloween. It’s my least favorite of all Holidays.

Every year it’s the same dilemma, what do you wear for a stupid costume. Unless you’re willing to spend a bunch of money or spend a lot of time scrounging for something decent you end up with some crappy costume that you’re forced to wear to a party you’re not really all that interested in.

This year might be just a little bit different. Have you ever seen a cuter little cat? I’m certain I haven’t so here’s another photo to help you enjoy my Catie Cat.
L

Happy Halloween

Adorable

An Actual Post

Okay I realize I'm taking a chance here, this is going to be controversial at at least one of you will emphatically disagree but I'm bringing it up anyway because I just don't get it.

The buzz has been surprising, the publicity it's gotten right from the start helped with the jump start I'm sure but I just don't get it. There's this show on tv and everyone is raving about and I know at least 3 friends that proclaim it their favorite of all time and I've watched it feeling I was missing out if I didn't, feeling that it would somehow enrich my life but it's just beyond me. I don't understand why everyone loves Glee so much. I think the story lines are unbelievable, I don't get the cheer leading coach at all and as lovely as the music is do they have to lipsink so badly? The characters are trying to be quirky but instead I think they're just unbelievable, I mean that wedding dress, seriously?

I do have this problem with following a crowd and perhaps that's where this is coming from but I don't get the show.
L

Participation Please

I realize since I nearly never post here I can expect participation to be down but I loved this, play along if you like and thanks Denise for the idea.

1. If Laura was a gem, she would be_____________.

2. If Laura was a type of shoe, she would be_________________.

3. If Laura was a fairy tale character, she would be________________.

4. If Laura was a season of the year, she would be________________.

5. If Laura was a fashion accessory, she would be________________.

6. If Laura was a type of gum, she would be__________________.

7. If Laura was a day of the week, she would be__________________.

8. If Laura was a flower, she would be______________________.

9. If Laura was a fruit, she would be_____________________.

10. If Laura was a colour, she would be______________________.


This weekend we have an exciting evening planned of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, perhaps it will lead to exciting blog stories.
L

Sundays are Hard

I know Catie isn't very old yet but it's frustrating how one day can throw off the whole routine. We're really careful about making sure that Catie eats, plays until she's tired and then sleeps and we repeat the sequence every three hours.

Sundays pose a problem. She gets held for 3 hours straight and then yesterday we went straight to Magrath where she continued to be held. She doesn't sleep soundly and doesn't get the right awake time, she also snack eats at random times. The end result is that when we're home and ready for bed she's sure she needs to be held or fed to sleep which we're strongly against. And then when we give in and rock her to sleep she sleeps for 10 minutes, wakes up and realizes she's alone and doesn't like it.

It makes for an awful, frustrating evening.
Sundays are hard.
L

Discovering

It seems that every day brings something new for Catie. Today she seems to have figured out that there's a tongue in her mouth and she's trying to figure out what it's good for. Yesterday her fist found her mouth and when she's hungry she sucks on it, it's really cute.

She also made the greatest cooing noises at me the other day, I love being there for all of her discoveries.

What a journey this motherhood thing is...
L

Bear Bum

The fashion show continues... This set also comes with a pink onsie that says Daddy Loves Me with brown trim. Very cute with the polka dot pants.


The back is the cutest part.

This photo is just a bonus to show how cute and curly her hair is. I think she looks a little goofy here in such a cute way.
L

It's a Fashion Show

This weekend my Mother and Sister-in-Law threw Catie a baby shower and we had a great time. It was fun to see friends I hadn't seen in a while and she was given some really cute clothes. She's going to be the best dressed girl around, over the next little while I thought I'd show off just how cute she is with some photos.

Here's the first, cute pink stripy pants with a adorable shirt. Underneath the elephant it says ... Off to Play Hopscotch. The bow adds the perfect final touch.

This last photo doesn't show her cute outfit at all but how can you resist that perfect girl?

L

Turkey?

Different families bring different traditions so this year at Granny and Grandpa's I had the strangest Thanksgiving dinner I've ever eaten.

Asian (Ichiban) salad, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, funeral potatoes and ham. I could have had the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing but the other stuff looked so exciting. I was pleased with my choice at the time but now I'm seriously craving some turkey and potatoes.


This year I'm feeling especially thankful for our little Catie Mae and for the amazing family we're surrounded by. Thankful for all the time we can spend playing games together and the baby free shopping trip the girls took this weekend. Thankful for Brad and how willingly he gets up with Catie on the weekend to let me sleep. Grateful for Lethbridge and our lovely home (minus the construction in the basement) and all the friends we've reconnected with down here.

Looking forward to what the near future holds and can't wait to spend more time with family and friends.
L

Wrong Side of the Bed

So I have this baby, and she's beautiful and lovely and sleeps like a dream.

Until the jerks downstairs start sawing, hammering, pounding, stomping down the stairs and talking loudly.

I'm not impressed.
L

Pressure

I was looking back at photos from when Catie was first born and it brought back one labour point that I'd forgotten already.

A random fact about me... I HATE having my blood pressure taken. I can't tell you how much I hate it. I have to really concentrate on breathing normally and not holding my breath during the test so it's a semi accurate reading. I hate the feeling of my arm being squeezed to death and the tingling that comes in your fingers. It was bad enough that it was tested every time I went to see the doctor but once I was in labour they had an automatic one that not only stayed on my arm at all times but tested every 15 minutes and it had an extra tight squeeze. You can see that awful arm cuff in the photo.

I complained loudly every time that stupid machine started.
L

Noodle Soup

The other day as an attempt at some sort of normal dinner (I haven't really been cooking so much since Catie came) I whipped up some chicken noodle soup and biscuits. This is normally a meal that Brad and I really enjoy but something about this batch was off and I couldn't put my finger on it. It took me two days to realize that I'd forgotten to put in the chicken! Our noodle soup was very boring and I think the lack of sleep is affecting my brain :)
L

An Update

A feeding decision was finally made and not necessarily made by me.

Thrush killed any breastfeeding attempts and Catie got too used to the bottle. Breastfeeding is done. I'll pump for a while to give her those benefits but it won't be long before she's solely formula fed. It's a disappointment but she didn't leave us much choice.
L

Firsts

Don't be fooled by how cute and innocent she looks, this picture was taken just after her first blowout. Poop all over Daddy and it definitely required a bath.

Yay for firsts?
L

Bad, Bad Day

I expected breastfeeding to be hard, I really did. So when I left the hospital without a breastfeeding baby and a baby that needed formula supplement I wasn't surprised and it was okay. We had some really hard feeds but then we'd have some great feeds and we were making progress... really.

I could handle one problem, one problem at a time maybe even two but these three have really worn me down today.

So I have a baby who doesn't suck all that well, and then I also don't produce enough milk but it was okay, I could handle those two.

And then we developed thrush.

It's hard, I'm frustrated and I hope the medication works quickly, I've got to get rid of one of the three problems quick or I'm giving up.
L

Big Buffet

So far these new motherhood posts have all been sunshine and roses so here's the first to show any frstration.

I feel like my days are one big feeding. Every thought is...
When did I last feed her?
When do I need to feed her next? and
What can I fit in before her next feeding?

I've certainly had my moments where I've considered giving up the breast feeding and switching to a bottle, the time it would save me would be amazing but I'll push through and hope for some progress this week.
L

Photos

I'm sure these repeat Facebook / blog posts are getting annoying to some but Grandma doesn't check Facebook and the tutu photo was taken specifically for her.

There was a Wiebe birthday in Calgary yesterday so Brad and I drove up in the morning, it was fun to show off our Catie and my Sister-in-law took some fun photos.

She's just so beautiful!
L

My Wind is Tougher than Your Wind

I've found one common thread between all people who live down here in Lethbridge and South. They're all preoccupied with the wind. We expected the increase in wind, really but here's where they all make me chuckle.

There will be a day, like today, that is especially windy yet if you comment on it all of them will say the same thing, "Oh this is nothing, it gets much windier than this". Only it's really an especially windy day, it's okay to admit it. You don't have to impress me with the strength of you wind.

I'm not looking forward to the super cold winter wind but so far I've appreciated the wind on hot days.
L

Love

So in case it wasn't obvious from my story, labour was pretty awful but watching Catie as she slept on my chest made me finally realize something... it was worth it.

I'm certainly not saying I'm ready to do it again but it was worth it.
L

Laura Wiebe is discovering that Facebook is useful for a first time Mom

I've given Facebook a bad rep in the past but these days I can definitely see it's value. Being a new Mom I spend a lot of time at home and I don't expect that to change nor do I want it too. I want to be home to feed my baby and I want time to recover but the downside to all this house time is being very socially cut off.

These days Facebook has made me feel a little connected to the outside world. I thought once I quit working and didn't have those random boring times to fill my usage of Facebook would taper off but I'm pretty sure it's going to increase instead.

It's nice to feel connected.
L

Hiatus

Let's be realistic here.

This blog is full of musings that come from my interactions with co-workers / other people. Having just had a baby I have just about no interactions and I'm pretty sure it'll be that way for the next little while so as posts about Catie increase I suspect posts here will be few and far between. Sorry.
L

TMI

Like lots of new mothers there was some unpleasant tearing that came along with Catie.

I'm not so happy with Brad for this cold he passed onto me and it's helped me discover that coughing / sneezing does not feel good.
L

Irresistable

I can't get enough of this face and find myself constanty mesmerized by her.

Today I sat laughing as I watched her stretch and make funny faces. I'm not quite sure how it's possible that Brad and I made this amazing person.
L