• Do not waste baby nap time.  Always have something interesting to work on to avoid going crazy after saying “goo goo goo” all day long.
• Blog regularly.  Probably over at Boyfriendly Cooking.  Winter + cooking + baby seem to be a good combo.
• Pat Orville more.
• Take more photos - not just of the baby.
• Publish more books on Blurb.
• Lose last 5 pounds of baby weight (winter + hobby baking = no progress)

I think it may be time to start crafting again.  Not that I’ve totally got this baby thing under control, but with quasi predictable nap times (at least in the morning - don’t ask about afternoons), I’ve got the bug to get some projects underway.

This week I made some paper ornaments for our entry.  Hello - cheapest craft ever (free!). Instructions are on DesignSponge.

Next project?  Felted ball garland.  Seems like a great way to use up some of the excess yarn that I have (like the giant ball of red Briggs & Little roving). Update: This just didn’t work very well.  Maybe it’s because we have a HE washer and there wasn’t enough agitation for the felting process.  I did add towels to the wash for friction, but no dice.  Next time, I’ll try doing it this way.

Weekend projects include major baking - attempting a Christmas chocolate yule log and cinnamon buns!  It’s supposed to be mega cold, so we’ll be polar bearing it at home.

And finally, photo of the day?  This biking scene from Amsterdam. This would be our life here in Ottawa if we had a bike like that and … no snow.  For the record, the husband toted our tree home in a grocery trolley.

I liked Robyn’s list so much, I’m going to write down what we’re listening to these days.  Let’s just say, my iTunes recommendations list is the weirdest collection ever - from Kanye to Sharon, Lois and Bram.

• Chelsea Morning - Joni Mitchell
• Sleeping Sickness - City and Colour
• The Escapist - The Streets
• Everything Is Borrowed - The Streets
• Please Be Patient - A Colbert Christmas
• The Heartache Can Wait - The Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs - Brandi Carlile
• Winter Song - The Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs - Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
• Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy) - Kanye West
• Coldest Winter - Kanye West
• Baby, It’s Cold Outside - Anne Murray
• The Canadian Snacktime Trilogy: III Vegetable Town - Barenaked Ladies
• Grown-Up Christmas List - Michael Bublé

Projects for this week:

• Modern Paper Decorations
  
• Yule Log
• Cinnamon Buns
• Freeze pastry dough
• Grocery shop shop shop
• Get rid of baby cold.  : (

Projects for next year:

• Owl banner!

Most afternoons, I pop Alden down on his playmat and turn up the volume on his iTunes playlist.  We have a few playlists on the go: one for sleeping, one for sing-alongs and one for “music this kid should learn to like” .

First up, our afternoon sing-along playlist.  It’s not super complete - I did a quick downloading frenzy one afternoon when Alden was napping and chose as many songs as I could find that weren’t too hokey or annoying.

• The Corner Grocery Store - Raffi
• Baby Beluga - Raffi
• Six Little Ducks - Raffi
• One Elephant, Deux Éléphants - Sharon, Lois & Bram
• “A” You’re Adorable - Sharon, Lois & Bram
• Cookie Jar - Games Sharon, Lois & Bram
• Hey Daddy - (There’s A Hippo In My Tub) - Anne Murray
• Teddy Bears’ Picnic - Anne Murray
• Animal Crackers - Anne Murray
• Love Somebody / A Bushel and a Peck - Sharon, Lois & Bram
• I Am a Pizza - Charlotte Diamond
• Ten in the Bed - Sharon, Lois & Bram
• Waltzing Matilda
• Bud the spud - Stompin’ Tom Connors

For bedtime or quiet time, I bought the Sharon, Lois and Bram “Sleepytime” album as well as Melissa Errico’s “Lullabies and Wildflowers”.  I’m fond of the Errico album because the music doesn’t scream BABY LULLABIES, it’s sort of a good balance between “granola mom” and “folk”.  I also added some Anne Murray to the mix - how can you have a playlist without Anne??  Impossible.  To the sleepytime mix, I’ve added her “Hush little baby”, “Sleepytime” and “You needed me” tunes.  In fact, most of the songs from her There’s a Hippo in My Tub album could be added to this mix.  I love this album.

Four weeks old is a good age.  We both seem to be a little more in tune and not totally frazzled.  We go for walks, we take the bus, we hang out at cafes during the day and we’re getting some fairly good shut-eye at night.  Things are  good.

This week we splurged on the M Coat - a coat that fits over your baby carrier (or your baby belly or turns into a regular coat).  Alden and I tested it out and we both stayed toasty and warm.  Totally worth it.  (And it’s made in Canada too).

I get a lot of smiles from strangers when I’m out with Alden in his carrier - mostly women and old ladies.  I wonder if this will continue when we use a stroller?  Our bus driver yesterday swore when he saw 3 strollers waiting outside the Plant Recreation Centre (luckily only one was taking the bus).  I have yet to get the stink eye.  I think.

I’m totally out of touch with new music.  We listen to a lot of Anne Murray’s “Hippo in the Bathtub”.  Do they not make new kids music?  Sharon, Lois and Bram’s “Greatest Hits” is in the Top 10 Kids Albums on iTunes.  We’re not knocking Sharon, Lois and Bram - they’re totally in our playlist too.   Why? Because they’re classics and I kow the lyrics.   I did download the Barenaked Ladies “Snack Time” album, but that’s 24 songs that I don’t know the words to.  Hello learning curve.

We’re starting to get used to this new little person. Introducing Alden Granville Harrison. Born on September 25 at 11:13pm. He tipped the scales at 9lbs 7oz (4184g) and 57cm long. A big big boy. He was 11 days overdue and needed to be evicted. I was induced shortly after midnight on the 25th and things were moving along well… until push came to shove (literally). He ended up turning with his face outwards and was just too big to make it out. So after almost 24 hours! he ended up being born by c-section.

While it wasn’t quite what we were expecting, we’re happy to report that everyone is healthy and happy. He got back to his birthweight in a week and has continued to be a hungry hippo ever since.

Things I have been enjoying a lot:

• Hug-a-bub carrier. We go for walks each morning all snug as a bug in this thing. LOVE it.
• Milkface.com. $3 for local delivery? HEART. I’ve ordered some nursing tops and they work like a charm.
• Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers.  Out of all the diapers I’ve tried (Thirsties, happy heinys etc.) these have been the easiest and non-leakiest.
• Any meal that I didn’t have to make myself.  Including: pre-made frozen meals, Thanksgiving dinner cooked by my parents and snacks at Bridgehead.

I’m taking a little break from the Internet - I’ll update if there is any news.  So far.. no news.

Plans for today:

• Walk to bookshop on Elgin for another book
• Stop at yarn store and make cutlery cozies 
• Stop at Hartmans and buy a big bag of flour and lug it home… or if all else fails, build sod house.  (It worked in that Heritage Minute)

Sorry folks.  The daily stats are as follows:

BLT: 1
Baby: 0

As for the “unbirthday” yesterday, we ended up having a nice day.  Bought a couple of foodie magazines, enjoyed a nice latte, made my favourite gazpacho for dinner, finished reading “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” and rounded out the evening with So You Think You Can Dance.