Hi Ho!

This past week was my first week back to work after a gloooorious 15 month maternity leave.  The week was good.  I work for the Saskatoon Health Region as an occupational therapist; previously I worked in a department where the focus was on post elective orthopedic surgeries (hips and knees).  With some lay-offs and switching around, I am now in acute ortho trauma (all limbs, but post-trauma such as car and bike accidents and altercations). The department also includes pediatrics, oncology, hands, neuro, and general medicine, so I will occasionally go to those areas as needed and in the future may work more in those areas.  It's been quite eye-opening this week, but I think it will be good.  Acute has a quick turnover, so in ortho OT we usually only see the patient for a couple days, primarily discussing home set-up and safety, getting them appropriate equipment to help them manage at home, and training on the use of the equipment.  Time spent with patients is quite different from my sub-acute/long term care job in Illinois where we saw the patients daily for many months straight.   

As a result of my going back to work, Annabel had her first week of day care.  Saskatoon has an extreme shortage of day care centers with multiple year waiting lists, so we found a home day care of a new mom who has a 1 year old herself.  It's nice for Annabel to have someone to buddy up with, and so far I think it should work well.  She didn't cry the first day of drop off, but she had figured it out by the second and cried at least until just after I left the rest of the week.  Up until this point she hadn't found a "comfort item," but she has been attached to her little pink bear at least when she is tired at day care.

Getting ready to head out the door to day care!  She LOVES this jean jacket!

Of all days, Annabel started getting her fifth tooth Sunday night and was up until two or three am!!  She was uncomfortable the next couple nights, so I had hardly totaled 8 hours of sleep by mid week.  This was our first experience with a really bothersome tooth.  That and figuring out our fastest travel route, considering the traffic, was our main challenge in our first week.  Luckily, day care is just a small loop on the way to both of our jobs (which are a 15 min. walk apart) and we leave home around 7:20 to get me there by 8:00.  I've been waking Annabel up at 7 and she eats breakfast at day care (so nice!).  

We all caught a cold by Wednesday, with all of us recovering fairly well by today.  Annabel has quite a cough and runny nose and I'm exhausted but hopefully it won't linger too long.  

I'll continue our Europe journey posts soon.

In the mean time, here is a few recent life happenings:

Hot day water play in the "pool".

Just like Grandpa.

Still thinks smelling socks is quite hilarious!

Annabel's favorite place in the house

Her obsession with Go Dog, Go! is easily pushing a month now.  

First trip to the dentist!!  She didn't have any teeth on her first birthday, but currently has five!

Play date with Benjamin and Reuben...isn't Reuben the cutest?  He is almost 6 months and has had over 4 haircuts!

Reuben, Annabel, and Benjamin.  They splashed a ton shortly after they adjusted to the water.

Last weekend we attended the Broadway Street Fair, which included a small petting zoo.

She loves riding in this doll stroller and has a thing for carrying shoes.  More than once I have left the house not realizing she had swiped a shoe just before I picked her up.

She turns fifteen months in a few days and has been starting to walk, practicing a little each day.  One day she took just over 20 steps.

Europe Part 1: Prague

This past July, Eric had a conference scheduled in Poland.  I really wasn't planning on going until we found out friends were getting married in Prague the week before the conference.  We decided to take advantage of the opportunity and make a big trip out of it.  It was great timing as Annabel wasn't walking, I was off work, and we were traveling with other new parents (our friends Brent and Paola and their 6 month old Lucas were also going).  Our friend Cameron  joined the bunch and braved staying with two babies.  Both babies actually slept really well and were great travelers.  At one point during a castle tour, Annabel pointed Cameron out in the crowd so she could be held by him.    

I was a bit nervous pre-trip given all of the planning needed to take a one-year-old to Europe.  I emailed the bride a number of times who assured me that we would be in safe areas.  Turns out I was just nervous of the unknown and low and behold, Europeans have babies too!! 

Annabel did well on the flights.  On the overnight flight from Minneapolis to Paris, she only slept 2 hours, but she didn't cry either, so she just needed a lot of entertaining.  She did let out a few of her signature screeches about 4 am when the entire plane was sleeping.

Near Charles Bridge in Prague

Taking a much needed break from the sun.

View from Charles Bridge

We rode this eco-train from our place to the dinner the night before the wedding.  Annabel was really into The Little Red Caboose on our entire trip, so seeing all of the trains was exciting for her.

Paola and adorable Lucas

Cameron and Lucas

The Czech like a lot of head on their beer.

We attended Karl and Magda's beautiful wedding at the Rose Garden of Konopiste, which is about 45 minutes outside of Prague.  Karl and Eric met in grad school and he now lives in Norway.  Magda is from the Czech Republic. 

Czech traditional sharing of soup.

We enjoyed some traditional goulash, pork schnitzel, wild game, and excellent roasted vegetables at various places in Czech Republic.

Annabel was given this beautiful dress by Eric's cousin Janelle and her husband Tyler.  It was perfect for the occasion.  She slept through the entire wedding in her stroller, but enjoyed playing at the reception, which was partly outdoors. 

This little boy was so sweet with Annabel.  It showed you certainly don't have to speak the same language to have fun.

She quickly learned to bear crawl as the dress was hard to crawl in.

Franz Ferdinand's castle, the grounds where the wedding was held.  Franz Ferdinand was the man who was assassinated to start World War I.  "The shot heard around the world."  He was an avid, or obsessive, hunter.  He kept very detailed records of his hunts.  It is estimated that he bagged over 270,000 animals during his life.  

I still can't believe what a trooper Annabel was.  I suppose going for walks is one of her favorite things, but she would ride in here all day!  Some mornings she would point to the stroller, like "when do we get to go?"

Waiting to tour the castle

Our stroller fully reclined, but was also quite compact which was so crucial.  Annabel did so well napping on the go in it and switched on and off with riding, being carried, or riding in the carrier.  She especially wanted to ride in the carrier if she saw Lucas was. 

Annabel was really into plants, flowers, pigeons, horses, and dogs.  She pointed out almost every plant and flower we passed in the airports, train stations, and streets.  She often made us literally stop and smell the flowers.  The horse and carriages were so exciting, they often sent her legs and hands flapping!

Prague was beautiful.  The people were wonderful and everything went smoothly.  We were there for four nights and then we hopped on a train to Krakow, Poland. 

The Lake

Going to The Lake is a big thing around here.  Oftentimes church is near empty in the summer because everyone is at The Lake.

This past weekend, we got a chance to go with Eric's co-worker to their family cabin on Emma Lake, which is a little over 2 hours north of Saskatoon.

The main beach was packed on such a beautiful day.

Eric and Bill went to watch the Rider game.  Annabel took a nap and I got to sit on this porch and read a magazine!!  I didn't have to think about dishes, laundry, or supper.