The Robiltons

It's noon and we're both still in our pajamas.

Dear Henry,
We know why they refer to this age as the "golden era" of babyhood: you are cute, cuddly, interactive, responsive, smiley, predictable (most of the time) and much more settled than you were even a few weeks ago. You are not very mobile yet, which means we can set you down and be reasonably certain that you will be where we left you when we return (although in the morning you are often on your tummy and have shimmied sideways in your crib - which is not how we leave you at night). While we still have the occasional bad day, they are infrequent and are usually followed by a very good day. You are looking more and more like your dad - you've got his eyes, his nose, and even the texture of his hair. You get your chubby cheeks from me. You are gaining greater control over your hands. You try to put everything in your mouth, and often exasperate yourself when you lunge forward to try to mouth something but can't quite reach it. You are becoming more vocal and delight us with your chatter. We call you our leaky faucet because of all the drool. We've been checking for tooth buds, but see nothing yet - so there's lots of drool still to come, isn't there? You hate to be put in your carseat, and have started to arch your back and cry when we put you in it. This happens often, since we use the carseat with your stroller and with the car. Fortunately, once we're on the move you are content. You enjoy car rides, and are happy to look out the windows at the trees and clouds. We put you in the infant carrier when we shop for groceries and you love it. The stimulation exhausts you, and you sleep well at the end of it all. You also love your Exersaucer - we stabilize you in the chair with blankets since you're still a bit small for it. If you see it across the room, you can't take your eyes off it. This month we've started a new exercise class, a new music class, and a new community-based mommies group, and we're still going to the Early Years Centre with our informal mommies group - so we keep busy, and we're having more and more fun together. At your four month check-up, you weighed slightly more than 17 pounds (the 95th percentile) and were 71 cm long (off the charts, according to Dr. Shauna).

Why won't blogger let me include these photos with my previous post?

We spent the weekend at my 10-year reunion in Kingston. Henry was a real trouper - we hauled him around everywhere, and although he didn't sleep much, he didn't fuss too much either. Henry and I drove up together Friday morning, and spent the afternoon with auntie Katrina, and then joined our good friends Ned and Daphne for dinner - it was so good to see them. And of course, I forgot to take photos. Saturday was devoted to Homecoming activities: shopping at the sidewalk sale, admiring the Queen's bands as they began the parade to the football field, enjoying the football game (we spent a few minutes in the stands, but mostly were field-side, in the stroller) and catching up with old friends during our 'class' dinner. I joined the alumni parade at halftime without Henry - he was content in the stroller. And of course we had a great time re-connecting with the ASUS gang.



We made a few stops on the way home to take photos of our Henry at old Fort Henry and for some apple pie at the Big Apple.

Henry has really started to enjoy his Exersaucer (when he isn't utterly frustrated by it, that is). So many bright and colourful things to look at. So many things to try to put in your mouth.

I've had this post drafted in my mind for some time, but didn't have a photo or a story to go with it until today. A common lament that I've heard expressed in several different mommy groups is that the TTC is, in many places, completely inaccessible to moms with strollers (and to people in wheelchairs, and to those who use other mobility devices or who cannot climb stairs). A trip around the city using public transit must be carefully planned to ensure that you do not get stuck. Where it is accessible, the system can be a dream (eg. Eglinton station). Where it is inaccessible, it is a nightmare. For example, Lawrence station - the subway station closest to us - does not have elevators, and often runs all of the escalators (which you aren't supposed to use with a stroller in any event) in the same direction. Which means that if you need to go down, but they run up, you are completely out of luck. Also, the Yorkdale station (gateway to the Yorkdale Mall) is completely inaccessible. There is no elevator and there are several sets of stairs. Today we made a trip downtown for a dentist appointment and to visit daddy's office and then mommy's office. On the way home we realized that the lift in Union station is broken. After I pushed the passenger assistance button, the curt response I received from the employee on duty was "The lift is broken. There's nothing I can do." No suggestion of an alternate route around the stairs (I know there is one, because we made our way out of the station earlier in the day), no offer of assistance that someone would help me maneuver the stroller down the eight steps. How does Toronto seriously contend to be a world-class city when such elementary infrastructure is sorely lacking?