Panama 2018

On arrival in Panama, we were exhausted and hot and sick. It was one of the most excruciating experiences traveling with a semi toddler and being an exhausted, sniffling mess.

Right from the get go, we were all suffering from a nasty cold. On the ferry we were sniffling coughing fools.

On the plane Indi didn't sleep and was a cranky baby. On arrival in Mexico city she fell asleep in the stroller on our way to make the connecting flight. The first flight was a red eye to make matters worse.

When we arrived in PC at 2pm we took a $30 cab to the Hotel Lisbon. Which was at one point a landmark in the city, is now more like a run down dive. The bedsheets were the wrong size, way too small, the aircon wasn't working, neither was the hot water or the tv.

After making our complaints known to the semi interested staff,  the cool air turned on with a loud boom and continued to buzz loud all night. It smelt moldy and there was no towels or soap in the bathroom. For approx $65 Cdn a night you'd expect better.

I had two appointments at the dentist, the latter one ended up in a super scam by a violent A-hole and a rip cab driver, which I proceeded to record a voice memo about. Maybe if I get around it it I'll attach it to this blog post.

A voice recording can definitely capture a lot more the the true sentiment than writing about it 8 months later would anyway.  Then off to the seaside we went. One 5 hour bus from PC to Santiago, then an hour wait for another tiny little bus ride of 2 hours to Mariato. It was a long day!
After being at JP and Lindys for a week we're all still super sick and I have a UTI. Not the greatest trip so far.
Hoping it gets better from here on in.

My little big baby

It's the end of November and Indianna will be 19 months soon. She's growing up so quickly.

She can say Turtle, Up, Down, Joey, Toes, Bath, Blanket - without the K, and a lot more little words. She loves the book Cars, Trucks and Things that go. She loooooves crayons and bath time. She gone on the potty a few times here and a lot more for Nana and Grandpa.

She can dance and twirl and splash in puddles. We go to the local pool sometimes and she "kicks, kicks" in the water. 

Julian had his Hip Replacement surgery on 16 November. It's been one week and a couple days post op. My parents have been so helpful. They took for the first whole week that he was home and out of the hospital. 

So far so good. It's a lot of work with the baby etc but it's going to be worth it in the long run.

 I've been looking into buying medical marijuana stock for the past month. Trying to get onboard for the big legalization station coming to Canada in 2018. There is going to be big changes for weed in the coming years. The stocks I've been looking at are Canopy Growth Corp, Aurora and Emerald. They're all about $5 - $20 a share. I'd be interested to see where this all goes in 20 years time. Indianna is going to be growing up in a much different world with Legal Weed, Technology and Global warming with floods and fires.

I think it's an exciting time though. We're all going to get a real taste of the resilient nature of humans. For xmas I think we're just going to take it easy here. Most likely have a little dinner here and possibly a tree. I'm still working part time at the Travel Clinic, so we're not making a lot of cash. Julian's recovering for the next few months and hopefully his Ei comes in from the months he worked away on the boat. He was gone 3 weeks this summer to NFLD, right in the middle of August. That was fun. NOT! I had the whole garden to deal with, a 15 month old baby and a needy dog. Now, just take away the garden but add fleeting stormy days of rain, a broken heater in the cruiser and a disabled hubby plus an almost 2 year old. Ugh. I truly believe God doesn't toss you anything you can't handle so I'm stepping it up. Next thing is I ordered 7 paintings from Cambodia now I have to learn how to make frames and sell these babies to Yoga studios. 

Maybe make some extra cash. I paid $200 for 7. So if I can learn to make frames then I might be able to sell them each for $65. In the end i ended up making some canvas stretchers for 3 and hanging them in our house. Don't know how much money I'll make but the paintings are really cool and I've learnt a lot about canvas stretchers. Maybe I'll actually start painting my own.

Nymph Falls water ripples and lovefalls

It's been quite an epic summer so far.

Julian has been on a boat in Newfoundland for nearly 3 weeks. He's working with Wayne Senior, Wayne Jr, and Little Wayne. I'm excited for his return.

I've been blanching beans and freezing strawberries. It's been tough keeping up with eating healthy when Julian beens gone. I find myself eating lots of pasta and chocolate whilst tending to the magical fruit and veggies. Trying to preserve the beauty and freshness of the summer without actually indulging in it's goodness this moment. Sometimes Indi finds the raspberries and eats them all. Or the blueberries and eats every ripe one on the bush. Maybe I should take a lesson from our little girl and live in the moment. Eat what's fresh now! But it's so tempting to try and save as much as possible because our window of heat and sunshine is so short in Canada.

Milly, our South African roommate is moving in soon. End of August. Which is exciting.

Indianna is growing so fast. I cut her bangs about a week ago. She looks like a little toddler now.
We spent the day at Nymph Falls with Andy and Family today.   A beautiful day!
Indi is exhausted and has been sleeping for nearly 2 hours already. I've gotten to talk on the phone to Hilary and get some housekeeping done. She is a firecracker and needs constant stimulation.

We went to Hornby for my birthday and it was a well overdue camping weekend of beach time and comet gazing. It was the 7th annual for Thalina and Chloe and I learnt a lot about those two sweeties this weekend.

The garden is coming along.
Tomatillos are just getting ripe. I saw a couple of little budding eggplants too. I have some cucumbers, and the leeks are marvellous. It was perfect timing to take them out of the garden and replant. They are fat.
I have pulled two with powdery mildew on them but other than that I think the other 34 should be good.
Will post pics when they're ready. I have posted most of them on Facebook already.

Sometimes I wait so long to write a post and then I feel like my writing is so eratic all over the place b/c I have so much to say. I guess you really have to be in the moment to write a real story. Or a blog.

I WANT SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS. Great song. By Chainsmokers and Coldplay.

1st Day of Summer

The peas are ready. But they're the weird kind of shucking peas. So won't save seeds.
Leeks have been pulled, roots trimmed and leaves and replanted 15cm deep with holes from a broomstick.
The blueberries are ripening and Indianna LOVES picking blueberries.
The first round of spinach and arugula went to seed. I've pulled some but will collect some seeds too.
Calendula flowers are blooming.
Daffodils bloom in Spring, Lilies bloom in Summer.
All the cauliflower I planted in march has been harvested lost 3 to caterpillar and worms.
Still have 5 HUGE cabbage in the ground.
Planted another row of beets and carrots with some swiss chard too.
The tomatillos are flowering, lost one plant cause it cracked, the other one still stands.
Planted artichokes and eggplant, lemongrass and bergamot. Tomatoes as usual with its friend basil.
Garlic are intensifying for harvest in August.
The beans are climbing, and the squash is all consuming. Soon to be growing on the whole roof.
Traded rhubarb for 12 farm eggs and a loaf of raisin bread. Mmmmmm with peanut butter.

Indianna loves it all. She hangs out in the garden with us and picks kale flowers off the stem and snorts and sniffs at flowers. She points and the sky and the birds. She understands every word we say. She's walking up a storm. Started walking on her 1st birthday pretty much or a week or so afterward.
She hates to go to sleep but once she's out sleeps the whole night.
She's cutting 2 molars and taking it like a champ. What a tough little lady.
She loves people and says hi to everyone she meets.
Today she had her first ride in the bike trailer. So much fun.
It's going to be a beautiful summer filled with adventures, and firsts and love and sunshine!

Indianna's 1st Birthday

We wished for sunshine and got it
We wanted a happy birthday baby and we got it.
We wanted beer, julian brewed a keg
We wanted toys and to bust open a piñata.
We had friends join us and Indi fell asleep in Grandpas arms.
We wanted love and it was all around us.
Happy 1st Birthday Indianna. We love you.

 

  

First day of Spring

Well it's 22 March and we've just arrived home from being in Panama for 2 months. And once again I regret not bringing my computer. It would have been useful to set up my iPhone, store my pictures and keep up with this blog. Alas, I went with the intention to disconnect and that I did.

Indianna had quite the experience traveling internationally at 8 months old. She was a spectacular traveler from the first flight, to the connections in Mexico City, through all the hundreds of bus rides right to the last flight landing into Vancouver at 10pm. She was the sweetest, quietest baby traveler and the whole plane recognized this upon landing.

I even wrote up a little note and attached a chocolate bar in case Indi decided to be a real pain in the bum, but she wasn't and alas, i had to eat those chocolate bars.

We rented a car at the airport and headed straight to the inlaws house the very day we landed arriving to our destination at a fabulous 9pm just in time for pizza.

We spent the first month laying around the house. Indianna went into the warm tropical ocean for the first time, cut 2 more teeth for a total now of 6 teeth and learned to crawl. All in the first month we were there.
She loved to point at the banana trees, and the spiders. She loved to sit in the little pool and eat sand and rocks.

Unfortunately, the bugs like soft little baby skin and especially soft little baby Indianna skin. But we organized our room with mosquito nets and we armed ourself with natural bug dope and the bites went away.

We spent one week traveling up to Costa Rica at the beginning of Feb which was a treat. We stayed in hostels, and an upgraded suite in Puerto Jimenez. Julian showed us his old stomping grounds where he learnt to surf. The swell was as small and flat as it could have been but I got an idea of how beautiful it was. And how long it took to get out there. We stayed in a party hostel in Dominical then up to the mountains to visit Brad and Nicki. Which was the reason for our trip and beyond spectacular.

Once we bussed back to Panama, Lindy and JP left for Colombia the next day. We had 2 weeks of bliss and barking dogs on the beach. It was a blast. I perfected pina coladas and iced coffee. We met a lady with her two kids who was having a mental breakdown and I befriended her. Ugh. Sometimes I'm too friendly.

Once the rents came home, we had a lovely visit with my cousins. We met them in Santiago and took off to Santa Catalina. Overall it was the most sleepless, relaxing, exhausting, hot and sweaty, entertaining and enlightening trip I've had in awhile. Tell ya traveling with an infant and my hubby sure beats traveling alone.

Lawrence Atlas Robillard Born 22 Dec at 3am

I am officially an Auntie and my brother is a dad! Whoa. What an incredible year of adventure and excitement.
We are leaving for Panama in t-minus 10 days and we're getting excited. Indianna has no idea what lies in store for her over the next couple of months. Exploration, adventure and heat.

Taco has Mange and has gapping wounds and patches of mites all over her back. I feel so bad. She's losing her health very fast partly due to missing a leg but also b/c of the cheap food i'm feeding her. It's so tough because she's been puking up everywhere since we got her nearly 2 years ago. I have tried all kinds of food and this food she still pukes up too. No matter how good quality i think it's just her gag reflex or something.

Anyway, hard to know what to do.

Todd might be moving in tomorrow with his two kids for a bit. Just until we leave, so it's going to be a full house. I don't mind though, as he is great and so are his awesome lil munchkins.

Deck the Halls

Jingle bells and Santa Smells, Christmas is on the way.

This year is Indianna's first Christmas and we will be spending it with her cousins over in Powell River. Tobin is nearly 4 years old in Janurary and the twins will be 3. She's the baby of the family so far and taking to the position very well I'd say. We don't have a traditional Christmas Tree this year but we in the xmas spirit just the same. I've made wreaths this year with cedar, spruce, holly and white pine. They are sweet.
I've also DIY cookies and DIY brownies in mason jars for a little something to give away to those we love most. Although they aren't gluten free, or refined sugar free they taste good.

Indianna has been pulling herself around doing the military shuffle. Pulling her legs with her arms she's getting mighty strong. She loves the water. We went to the Aquatic Centre again for the second time yesterday in her short little life and she loved it. She squealed with delight when we bounced up and down.

It never fails that everywhere I go someone says " Wow. She's such a happy baby." That's my girl. Off to Panama in less than a month and I am so excited. I need the sunshine and the warm air and the beach. I'm excited to see Indi play with the puppies and the sand and taste the ocean water. She's going to be a changed baby and 2 months in the tropics is going to change her, to help her grow. What a lucky little girl.

Picked up a pair of 100% silk pjs at Value Village yesterday. Man, are they ever a sweet deal. They are a man's large so I really hope that Julian takes them and wears them, in Panama. They are a steal of a deal. If he doesn't take them I think Jean Pierre might be the next lucky recipient of these gems.

Starting to eat on her own. Now loves those little refillable bags of homemade food 

No new little baby cousins yet

Indianna is getting excited for 3 things:

1- Her new little cousin that is coming into this world. Already making a fashionably late appearance. 10 days late to be exact. Come on lil buddy we're all waiting for you.

2- Her first Christmas with presents and trees and candy and snow.

3- Her first overseas trip to Panama. She's been trying on all sorts of outfits for the beach and the hikes and the downtown city life. She's a little bit worried about the tanlines from the diapers and considering learning to potty train so she doesn't have to wear one. What a big girl!

She's getting her first two top teeth at this stage of her life. The big 7 monther that she is. She's also taking a real fancy to riding on moms back all day, except when she's nursing or sucking back yummy organic food that we have so carefully prepared for her. Seriously, only our baby gets the best stuff.

Indi is proving to be a very happy baby. Always smiling and happy to meet strangers. One woman at the bookstore couldn't take her eyes off Indi. She said " Wow. Your baby is really cute. I mean really cute. What a lil munchkin face!". Yup there you have it folks my lil munchkin getting too cute for her own good. I mean look at this picture.....

7 months going on 16

Snow Day

It's December 1st today and the beginning of the first holiday season with baby. Whoa! It all started with an amazing drive up to the Mountain after a treacherous storm of wind and rain down below in our little valley.

Julian, Indi and I drove up to the Raven Lodge and played with some Whiskey Jacks in the snow. The new snow tires on the Jetta made it a very safe fun and family friendly adventure. Even Joey was smiling! It's so great to feel the freedom of having a HUGE mountain 30 minutes away from your house.

Here are the pictures to prove how much fun was had.

My little Stinkerbell is already 6 months

She is beautiful. People stop me everywhere I go to tell me how beautiful my baby is. I'm a very proud momma. Started training for my new casual position at the Travel Vaccination and Medical Clinic. It's fun but I see it getting boring, very, very fast. But fun.

Indi has been pushing out two bottom baby teeth for about 3 weeks now. It's so cute, her little baby teeth. She's eaten blueberries and mashed up Minestrone. Oh and she's a huge fan of the squash.

Indi at 6 months asleep on Papa 

Papa has been taking care of her for a couple mornings a week while I'm working and it's working out well. At the moment I'm trying to sleep train her off the boob. I didn't realize but some bad habits are forming with her falling asleep with my boob in her mouth. I can't get her to sleep any other way. Although she's a great sleeper and passes out for good 5-6 hour stretches at night, the later she goes to bed the later she wakes up. I'd like to have an hour or two to myself at night.
Hence me writing this blog at 10:30pm. She only likes to go to bed around 9:30pm. Alas, she's my baby! And she can pretty much do anything she wants cause I LOVE HER THAT MUCH. But the book I'm reading explains it really well and the cry sleep training in the beginning will only help her get her much needed growth sleep in the future. I'm helping her you see when she cries at night. Argh, it sucks.

Anyway, exhausted and elated mom signing off. Another day of rain tomorrow but counting down the days to Panama on 15 Jan! Ps. Check out the photo below. This was at Casa Ramirez in Panama. Our first day in Panama in 2013. My how time has changed.

Itsy Bitsy Baby Went around the World

Indianna is officially 5 months old in 2 days. She's the queen of my heart and I love her to bits. It's indescribable the amount of love a mother has for her child. I could never have imagined the path that my life was going to take but I'm so very blessed.

Indi's health and progress update up to this point:

Where in the world is Indianna?

• 14.5 lbs fully clothed with a diaper on.
• She's grabbing her feet and squealing 
• Blowing and sputtering spit bubbles 
• We can pee her in the morning and sometimes catch a poop after a fart or two. T-minus 4 farts then we know she's going to blow
• She full on belly laughs when we tickle her armpits
• She is the friendliest baby in the world, and smiles a lot for strangers
• Indianna is the best sleeper: At night she's out for 5 hour intervals in her own crib. Asleep by 9-9:30pm every night and up again at approx 2:30am, then sleeps again till morning. I'm so blessed.
• She has tasted everything we eat, but obviously no solids. She loves grapes squirted in her mouth as well as little cherry tomato juice squirts too. She's a fiend for squash and Thanksgiving Mashed potatoes.
• She loves bath time with her little duckies from Grandnan Lynn
• Her eyes are still a bluish grey and she runs really hot. I swear her internal temperature is higher than normal. We sweat together when we're in naked in bed. Ugh. Wonder what Panama is going to be like.
• She loves the Jolly Jumper too. Usually in it for once a day at least. Plus we HAVE to get out of the house at least once a day too otherwise we're dealing with a monster come mid afternoon.

Also I made dinner for the first time last night with her on my back. It was freedom like I haven't felt since she was born. Being hands free without a baby in room crying for attention was a big step. I felt very productive. I'm excited for this new stage of back baby wearing. These are exciting times coming up.

Baby Indi is already 3.5 months

My baby my baby! 

I'm torn between wanting you to be my baby forever and 

being excited to find out who you're going to grow up to be. 

I LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH!

Miracle on 1150 1st Street

My contractions started on Sunday evening around 4pm. Very sporadic and random. Wasn't even sure that was what they were. Julian was at Marcus' and I called him and ask him to get me some tylenol on the way home. I called Laya and she said take a gravel at night to help me sleep and some tylenol and call her in the morning.

That was the worst night of my life. I couldn't get comfortable, I went from our room to the basement room to the bathtub into the shower and back again 'till 6am at which time I called Laya. She arrived around 7:30 am and my contractions were approx one minute long every 5 mins. Painfully fuckers.

Anyhow, my parents arrived at around 9am and sat at the kitchen table watching me pace back and forth in pain until about 2pm. Then my contractions just stopped. Our whole bedroom was set up for a home birth and I was ready but my mind and body weren't. I climbed up and down the stairs a million times, went out to the garden to relax but nothing. I was worried what if this poor little baby is stuck. Laya said she was under the law to admit me to hospital b/c she can't exactly go in and move the baby into position. If there were complications she would be liable... blah blah blah.

We all headed to the hospital where I was strapped in and given some drugs to kickstart the contractions again. Then the gyno examined me and said the scar tissue at my cervix was stopping me from getting fully dilated. As well as the position of the babies head was not fitting through my pelvic bones.
I was 9 cm dilated but they decided that babies heart rate was low and she was under quite a bit of stress. Not to mention that I had been up now for 24 hours and under nourished. I had a total of one glass of maple water during that time. The caesarean must be preformed and at this point I was like "GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME DAMMIT!!"

They rolled me into the surgery room and gave me an epidural. Weirdest feeling in the world where you can't feel your legs and cut me open to pull out my baby miracle girl. Julian was right by my side the whole time. Not the natural birth of my dreams but a healthy beautiful girl none the less. Indianna was born at 7pm on May 16th and I stayed in the hospital for 2 days afterward then back again b/c she had jaundice. It was quite the ride and I couldn't have done it alone. Well I guess I could have but definitely didn't want to. So much love here.

Back at the hospital getting UV treatment for Jaundice

At the hospital

False Alarm

After a visit with Laya at the hospital yesterday she tested my "leakage" and it's just the extra juices flowing from me b/c I'm getting ripe.

There was no amniotic fluid detected. Therefore, false alarm. We proceeded to head out down the street for 2 scoops of Gelato on a waffle cone. Julian had Dolce Latte and White Raspberry Chocolate, and I had Cherry and Chocolate. Mmmmm heaven in your mouth.

Newest names to consider are : Desmond, River and Solomon. Well River has always been a fav. I also like Topaz, Opal, Ayo, and Ayana.

I'm feeling pre contractions kinda of or whatever it is it's only happens every so often. Maybe 4 a day, and I'm super leaky too. But I think the body is just doing it's job and getting ready for the inevitable miracle explosion.
I'm officially 39 weeks tomorrow according to the docs, midwives and ultrasounds.

Put the crib together yesterday, so I'm ready. Bring it on!