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By doriluthy, February 22, 2010 2:01 am

Come on! Why else do we have children if not to dress them up and have a little laugh?

Anyway, Finn (cowboy boots and shades!) and I (shaved my legs this week!) have been out exploring the city of Vancouver- maybe you heard that the 2010 Olympics are here right now? Chaos? Masses of people roaming the streets? Very excited hockey fans waving jumbo size flags as they line up all over the city to kill time while they anxiously awaiting the next game (sorry for your loss tonight, Oh Canada)? Nightly fireworks and a big cauldron of flame?… surely you’ve heard! Anyway, wandering the City with my doesn’t-give-a-crap 17 week old baby, we’ve discovered the busiest place to be is downtown- Granville and Robson Streets are closed to vehicles, making blocks and blocks of party zone, and Robson Square with it’s evening fire and light shows, free zip line across downtown (6hour lineup!), lots of fabo live performances, and the thousands of people wandering the streets in all forms of cheer and excitement, makes for a lively core to this generally not so lively city.

But this afternoon we decided to avoid the big crowds and went down to Granville Island for Winterupption! (my favourite Vancouver free winter event!)- and it honestly was no busier down on GI than any other Sunday afternoon on a beautiful sunny day- I think that the masses of people are focused downtown, and not really wandering much afield. Chinatown, Gastown, the Drive and Kits all seem to be about the same level of busy-ness as usual… are the Olympics really bringing the kind of economic shot-in-the-arm that was envisioned? Hmmm… A wander through Chapter’s bookstore this afternoon, at the corner of the busiest part of downtown, proved extremely quiet, with very few people shopping and I was told by a clerk that has been like this for the whole week- although the lineup for the neighboring Starbucks stretched halfway through non-fiction!

Regardless of this all, we are enjoying ourselves as much as possible- just look at this photo- can you believe the excitement on this face? (As you can see he is a big fan of tobogganing.)

Okay, so I’ve been having these moments wandering around the city with Finn and surrounded by his people, when it occurs to me that HE IS CANADIAN. I mean he is born here, and for that reason alone he will always be different from his parents. We don’t quite belong like he does. It’s like growing basil, you can either start it from a seed (the challenging old fashioned way) or you can buy a starter and transplant it (of course that’s what I do)… But seriously folks, it’s pretty cool having a kid that is really fundamentally different than me. Sometimes I feel like I just delivered him to where he belongs, as if from the beginning of my life I was destined to give birth to Canadian Bacon.

Did you watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics? Did you see the fabulous k.d. lang singing Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ (2 of my fav Canadians, btw). Well I just got all teary watching her singing, and holding little sleeping Finn close channeling all the mama pride I could muster on behalf of my blissfully ignorant bambino. It was awesome, and I’m so glad he has this place to call home.

I’m off to bed! Must get rest for tomorrow, another fun-filled day of Olympic-themed action.

Ciao!

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By doriluthy, February 12, 2010 2:50 am

Dear Finn,

Happy 15 weeks of life!

Oh dear, the time has gone by so fast! You are a busy little boy, curiously reaching into the world with your chubby little hands, trying to figure out the finger coordination and what is worth engaging with. You are so darn smiley, just a little eye contact gets the grins rolling. We weighed in on Tuesday, and you’ve made it to 15lbs 5oz!! Nearly double your birth weight! You are a hearty eater, and get really excited when we start getting your bottle made- it really amazes me how much you know already at 3 months old.

You know you are so well loved and cared for- I can tell by your sweet cooing and snuggles. Of course it’s been my own heart’s challenge in coming to terms with my low-milk supply that couldn’t alone sustain your needs. You are still nursing ‘just enough’, (which makes mama very happy) and just in the last couple days you’ve started to caress my necklace (I make an effort every day to put on a little bling) as you snuggle in close. I am so proud of your patience with me, as we’ve made it this far with the breastfeeding, and I’m still making a little milk to give to you every day. I asked papa to take some photos of me tonight while you were nursing- Sarah suggested to me that it might help me feel proud of what I am doing to see us together. She was right. I have a funny little dream of you still nursing for the next few months, and that your little milk snacks will just remain part of our daily rituals. But we’ll see, right?

I have found myself so deeply in love with you- there are times when I feel almost overwhelmed by the intense joy that comes rushing out of my throat when I say your name- my son! Finn! And I was completely unprepared for the kinds of personal growth that has come from your arrival- I mean some really old stuff that is getting a chance to come forward and get digested. Someone once said that having a baby is like having your rubix cube (of life) all mixed up again- where you might have had some patterns forming and colours combining, once baby arrives, the whole thing gets shaken up to the very beginning.

But don’t worry, little one, this is not a bad thing at all- I am growing just as you are growing! We are like two newborns, together travelling a path that is unwritten and unknown. We have each other, and that’s the really cool part about being a mother and a son. From the moment you were born, we will always have each other.

Love, Mama

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By doriluthy, February 4, 2010 12:18 am

Got back late Monday evening from a lovely relaxing trip to Oregon with my little dude. We rode down on the train (seriously the best way to travel with a wee one!) and spent a few days with family and friends. Thought I’d post a few pics of the trip.

Here’s one of my favourite places in the world- propped up in front of the fireplace at Aunty B’s- teaching Finn that if the feet are warm, so is the soul.

Tummy time is so much more fun on the floor with grandpa to keep you company!

So much history at gram’s house, bits and bobs and books and blurbs…

Geez, can’t tell that we’re related! 4 generations of Luthy’s -(where the heck is the timer on this fancy camera?)

Will write more soon! Gotta go see what the weird squeaks coming from Finn’s room are about- sounds like he’s still awake!

Ciao.