New Routines!

At the moment that I started writing this post, Vianna is sleeping in our bed and Pishi has gone out for his appointments and I have got time to quickly write and update! As my cousin and her husband left us last week, things are going back to Normal. No more crazy night out in down Town! Well, when they were here we did different things. The highlight was our night out with my brother, his friend and them and us! It was actually our first night out together for Pishi and I. We went to le papillon for dinner and I must say the food was excellent. It is a French Canadian restaurant which has won several cooking awards. Next we had deseart at Panorama Lounge. Even though just before we head to down town it was raining cats and dogs but by the time we started our night the weather was great! The view from Panorama was fantastic and I was happy that my cousin and her husband enjoyed it. The memory of the night is captured at Panorama deck with an instant photo by a couple from China! They had a coold camera and offered to take a picture of us!
Even though we wanted to go somewhere else afterwards but I was really tired! Specially when I called my mom and she said that Vianna was crying a lot before sleeping, my mood changed. Never the less it was a great night and when we went to pick the princess up, she was sleeping peacefully and I couldn't explain the joy I felt by seeing her. It was only 4 hours that she wasn't with me!! It was always strange to me when I saw all these mothers and their children being so attached to each other but I think I am getting a bad case of that attachment!
Every day I fall more in love with her and I can't stop smelling and kissing her! When I look at her pictures when she was just born and now and see how grown she has become, I just get filled with joy to know that I spent this amazing time with her. I honestly don't know how I am going to go back to work!
I hear all these stories about nannies and day cares and etc and I am confused as how to make this decision. I like to continue my career but Vianna has become my number one priority.
I am also becoming addicted to either working out or going out every day! The boot camp is great. I feel being at home our life has changed for good. I love spending time at home with Vianna and also making sure Pishi and I are eating nutritional food. I plan for house work everyday and I actually enjoy the results.
I completed the building newsletter and submitted to the board and yesterday I saw it posted in our building! I am glad I decided to do this. Although I must admit I wouldn't have been able to meet the deadlines without Pishi's help!
In the past couple of weeks, we started having friends over and that is great accomplishment for us! Vianna has been cooperative.
Pishi's parents and brother will be landing in Toronto in two weeks and we are very excited to have them in Canada. Pishi already started looking for plans for the labour day long weekend!
I have to finalize our pregnancy photo and also get her 3 month photo shoot appointment! Also try to see if there are courses that I can take in September!
For now I want to book my massage appointments and Spa treatments! I should get going and clean the kitchen before princess wakes up!

3 months has passed!

Last week we celebrated Vianna's third month's birthday! We waited actually did it on 11th as we were waiting for my dad to arrive from Iran and cousin and her husband to come back to Toronto. It was a memorable night! Specially when her cake fell on the ground when Pishi fall down! Don't worry he is doing fine, the cake though was squished from one side! The whole family was finally together after a 5 months! My brother finally came back from his overdue business trip! He brought Vianna a kitty bag. It is very cute considering that it is the same size as Vianna!
Our little princess is practicing her rolling and talking! She makes lots of noise and looks straight in to your eyes when is attempting to talk to us. When I kiss her all over her body, she get so excited! Over the weekend, we went to Rice Lake where my parents and their friends and cousin were staying in a cottage. She loved this one day trip! I put on her new clothes that her grandmother bought and she was a good baby girl for the most part! She loves trees and leaves! She looks at them with strange admiration specially when the wind moves the leaves. She encountered her first experience with a dog as well. She looked at the dog and the funny thing was that normally I am not too comfortable being close to a dog but this time when I was explaining to Vianna about dogs, this dog came near me and sat beside my foot and started rolling! This was a big dog now but he looked beautiful although would be even better if cleaned up! The poor dog was hot! He kept on going in to the lake and coming out!
Life has become more manageable as Vianna tends to keep herself busy with her toys and let me do cooking and cleaning although for the most part she still uses me as her vehicle to take her around so she can see things. She is extremely curious. Our visit to the Osteopath was an interesting one yesterday. She was quite surprised by Vianna's movement. She kept on saying, is she really 3 months old? Finally I asked her why and she explained that the movements, her attention and curiosity is of a four or five month old baby! We were surprised because she started these when she was 2.5 months old. I think she now recognizes who I am because when she is being held by someone else, she looks for me and when I come close to her she opens her arms as if she wants me to hug her. She also moves around when she is held, bending to different each side. Yesterday I was so surprised to see her hold my hand and starting to putting her lips and tongue over my hand and for arm! She is mimicking what I do with her hand when I kiss her hand and for arm! I was pleasantly surprised!
I washed new toys for her so she can play with them. She specially loves a toy I bought her last year before even she was born!
Life couldn't be sweeter and keep falling more and more in love with her every minute I hold her!

With the help of Pishi the newsletter draft is prepared and hopefully once I meet with our building manager I can send the finalized version by end of this week. I am intending to send Vianna's passport application this week. Her passport photo is super cute!

I have started working out with fully capacity! I am intending to get a flat belly! So much to do and so little time I thought staying at home I will have time to do things but Vianna wants and needs 100% attention!

First trip

Lots of firsts this month from princess Vianna. She has learnt to grab stuff. Specially my hair! I think I have to cut it soon as every time I hold her when I have to put her down her fist has my hair in it!
My little one smiles all the time and laughed out loud as her grandmother puts it as she saw little birds eating bread crumbles for a few minutes!
She makes noises when she is in her bed with her toys as if she is talking to them, I find it fascinating for two and a half baby to have evolved so much!
Yesterday was Vianna's first trip! Along with my parents  and my cousin and her husband who flew from Sweden to here to spend a month with us, we went to Niagara Falls. She was a happy baby throughout and enjoyed the trip with lots of laughter!
She will be 3 months in a few days and I can't beilieve where the time has gone! It has been 3 months since I stopped working and I am slowly getting use to the new life! Vianna still takes most of my time but I have to really start cooking! We are getting close to finishing all the good food Pishi's mom left for us in the freezer and I can't rely on my mom's cooking all the time! I just have to start cooking:-). As we are completing re-decoration of our place, I am intending to invite friends over to our place.
I have to start looking for daycares for Vianna as well. I already have booked one for her but I need to look for more just in case!
I have started to create a news letter for our apartment! The first edition is to be published by end of July!
I have to start looking for mommy and baby classes close to our place and find some time to plan the next 9 months, I want to see if I can take a course in September. I feel I am not using my brain since Vianna's birth! I am learning new things as she grows up but want to do more!
It has been great to have my cousin and her husband here. It has been great spending time with them. I wish they lived here in Toronto!

2 months passed

Yesterday, Princess Vianna marked her 2 month anniversary! We celebrated her 2 month birthday at my parent's place. We took pictures with her while she was asleep. It was pretty poetic with her 2 candles!
I started going to my Chiropractor today and went through re-assessment. She recommended me to start with 2 days a week and based on the progress it will be reduced to once a week. I was at once a week point during pregnancy and it definitely helped ease the back pain caused by pregnancy. After Vianna's birth, I really didn't have a problem. Nursing can put a toll on me but at this point I want to prevent having back pains in the future similar to what my mom and many other women go through later in their lives. I am going to schedule a message as well to make it more effective and relax a bit, now that life is a bit back to normal!
Vianna will start her vaccination schedule from Tomorrow and I am worried as how she will react to the 3 vaccines she is about to get.
Our home is going through major redecoration since we are setting up the princess's room. Once it is set up I can play house and invite friend's over.
During my mat. leave I want to at least do 4 things. I want to get my P. Eng., write CQE/ CQA exam, take creative classes like drawing/painting/sewing or floral design and make couple of dresses for the princess.
I also want to try different recipe's for cooking and backing and definitely get back into shape but doing more exercises.
I also have to start looking for the mummy and baby classes and start having play dates for Vianna.
In the past couple of weeks Iran's election fever and watching the debates and news and talking about them with friends and family has been very exciting. Too bad we can't vote here! My thoughts on to vote or not to vote, is to vote in order to practice our citizenship's right. My thoughts on not voting is to the only way this works is if minimum number of eligible voters in order to make the election formal as per Constitution not vote.

56 days has passed!

Today is the 8th week that Vianna is with us! I was thinking today about how our lives have changes for good since her birth. I love being at home with her but it is fun to get to know her. At times it is challenging to know exactly what she needs but learning her facial expression and sounds she makes have helped us attend to her needs better. Although sometimes we just go with the process of elimination and we try all until one sticks!
Day 43 was the first day after Vianna's birth that I drove our car! It felt strange not driving for 43 days! I was more cautious!! After Pishi's accident in April, I want to minimize interaction with insurance!
Day 54 was the first day after her birth that I drove the car with her! Destination was my mom's place and she cooperated! She prefers that I drive all the time and pass the red lights as well! It was nice to drive just the 2 of us! The car sit is heavy for me and I asked pishi to leave it in the car so I can hold her to the car instead of her in the car seat.
Last Friday was the last day that Vianna and I were at the care of the midwife services. I must say saying good bye to Andrea was emotional. She made my pregnancy experience amazing. The level of care exceeded my expectation. I would never had gotten the same level of care had I been with an OB.

Yesterday was Vianna's first visit at a pediatrician.She was very calm and good at taking the history and gave us good pointers. My princess is gaining weight in a good pace but what has surprised us is her height! She is taller than average babies at her age.
Nursing dramas thankfully is subsiding and she is getting slowly to a routine. For the past 3 nights she has slept for at least 7-8 hours like adults and yours truly and Pishi are enjoying good night sleep! Now we need to shift her from eating on demand to scheduled eating.
On day 53 we started her to sleep in her crib in her own room. She graduated from sleeping in a bassinet in our room! It was a strange feeling the first night when she slept in her own room! Thankfully her long sleep hours started when she is in her own room. I am glad we didn't have any drama and it seems she likes her room! I want to decorate it with some rainbow color stickers.

I can't believe how much holding and smelling her gives me joy and happiness. I am listening to Dr. Holakouee 's CDs on child development from birth to 18 years. I have been listening to his other CDs on child development and this set is a good summary.
Life in general couldn't have been better. I guess Oxytocin does do wonders! I thought at first I will miss work by being at home but Vianna keeps me so busy and happy that I don't miss work. May be it is too early to judge but I am sure it also helps a lot that Pishi works from home most of the time and his work hours are flexible. It allows him to attend all our baby's appointments with me and help me when I need help during the day taking care of our princess!

40 days!

My princess passed her 40 day mark yesterday! On day 39 we went to Edward's Garden with Pishi's parents and it was lots of fun. Vianna was happy being in the park. The park was busy and loved the flowers. Afterwards we went to Richtree for dinner. This was Vianna's first restaurant dinning! She was quite good and we enjoyed dinner.
We spent day 40 at my mom's place and enjoyed their garden. Vianna couldn't stop looking at all the flowers and trees! She seems to be extremely curious!
I love how my parents and Pishi's parents talk to her and spoil her! They have been very helpful. It is general belief that by 40 days the hard part of being new parents is over and today on day 41, she was very cooperative! I hope she sleeps well tonight. In general I think she doesn't sleep as much as a baby at her age should. Today was an exception that she slept 3.5 hours straight! My milk supply seems to be okay too. Hopefully it stays like this for the full year and matches to her demands!

Her rooms is coming along as Pishi got his new desk and the office is being relocated! She has started to make sounds when we talk to her as if she wants to talk to us. She gets bored very quickly and Pishi and I have to be creative in getting her occupied! Yesterday she tried to laugh out loud like her mom!
Days become nights very quickly and I am slowly trying to get the hang of the routine of motherhood. Next week Pishi's parents will go back to Iran and that would be the test to see how we would survive! Of course my parents are here and still we are lucky to get their help but there would be less hands!
I will go to my dentist for my regular check this week since I miss the last time due to pregnancy and I am thinking of booking both chiropractor's and message appointment in couple of weeks to ensure I am energized!
With Vianna in the picture, going to kids birthday parties are more fun! She will be going to her friend's birthday party this week and I am very excited to see my friends after giving birth to Vianna.

One month has passed!

I can't believe that Vianna has passed the 1 month time point. During this time, Pishi and I have learnt a wealth of knowledge about breast feeding and baby's sleeping habits!
Breast feeding has been a challenge but I have not given in. Even though we are giving Vianna Formula with bottle during the night and at times during the day if she wants it. I am determined to have her feed off my milk whether it is from the breast or not!

The herbal capsules, Fenegriek and Blessed thistle has helped with my milk supply. I am trying to avoid medication at all cost. Hopefully I don't need it.

Every day I am taking pictures of Vianna so later on we can see her growth! I am keeping an excel sheet of her feeding, poos and pees to see if I can see a trend!

We have been seeing lactation specialists and an osteopath to help her with latching, I am seeing somewhat improvement. I can't wait for her to fully gets feed off my breast and be completely content.

For her 1 month, we went to my parent's house. My in laws also came along and we had lots of fun with her! She got beautiful gifts and we ate her first birthday cake! Her uncle sent her a flower bouquet from Saudi Arabia! It was a very nice surprise. I can't to see his expression once he actually holds and sees her. I am planning to celebrate every month for her until she is 1 year old and then celebrate annually!

Yesterday was mother's day and this is the first year that I am a mom! It is a wonderful feeling and I can't express how happy I am to have Vianna in our lives. Some times I just want to hold her so tight and just smell her when she is sleeping! She is so innocent!

I got beautiful gifts from my in laws and my parents and pishi for mother's day. I can't wait to wear them all:-)

I also got to see one of my friend's whose son is 1 day older than Vianna last week. It was nice to talk about baby stuff and get feedback.

Over the past month, I have gone out several times and can't wait my stitches to get healed fully so I can start going to the gym! Pishi has been extraordinary helpful and understanding and I can't thank him enough. I am blessed and lucky to have him as my partner in life.

We have to start the applications for her passports soon so we can travel with her! I can't wait for all the great things we will be doing with her. I can see things are getting easier as she is getting closer to the 40 day mark although I must say, I have numerous help and support and I am grateful for all of those!