New blog

Here it is, the addy to my new blog: Loving {Almost} Every Moment...

If you want to update your links the url is: http://toloveeverymoment.blogspot.com/

It will take me a little time to move over my blog list, so don't worry if you don't see yours there quite yet...I promise if you were on the blogroll here you will be on the new one too! If you're new and want me to add your blog just post a comment on the new blog to let me know.
I hope to see you all over there soon!

I'm moving!

I have decided to move this blog. It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time. There are a lot of things I want to put on my blog that I just can't seem to do with this template. So hopefully a new, fresh start will work things out! But no worries, all my posts are coming along to live at the new blog. I will post the new addy soon.

Free stuff...for a good cause!

There is a giveaway going on at "If Breastfeeding Offends You Put a Blanket Over YOUR Head"... the prize is a tote bag with the logo on it. Go on over and enter your name! And while you're there check out their other posts, lots of good info and support on breastfeeding.

Some days you just need chocolate (or a tequila...)

I need a break, I'm losing my mind. Both of my kids are sick. This means there is very little sleep and a lot of crying happening around here. We've been taking echinacea, Vit C, Vit D and Cold FX (only for me and Ken) in the hopes of fighting this off. So far I am feeling drained, not quite sick, but on the verge, my body is sure putting up a struggle against this icky virus. Maddie is doing better, but still coughing. Isaac on the other hand has got it the worst. He is teething (getting either an "I" tooth or the one right next to it...weird tooth to get after the front bottom 2), has a stuffed up nose and an awful, awful cough. He won't nurse, he won't let me cuddle or rock him, he has a hard time keeping his soother, he won't sleep but he's exhausted. All this adds up to create one very unhappy 9 month old and one very tired, exasperated, cranky, impatient and upset mama. What to do? He's been up since 6am, refused to nap (or better said could not go to sleep) at 8, 9, 10...even with Tylenol, nose suctioning, teething tablets...Oh.My.God. I'm losing my mind. It is now 11am. After having him refuse to nurse and arch his back as I tried to rock him yet again, I put him in his crib, gave him Motrin, sang him a song, rubbed his back, provided soothers within reach and prayed for sleep. He did close his eyes, but he kept swatting my hands away...I got the feeling like he was telling me to shoo, get lost, saying "Mom, you are crowding my space..." Sigh. I left the room and of course he cried. So in I went again. I gave him his soother and this time he did drift off. I left after a few minutes and he stayed calm and quiet. I got downstairs went for the cupboard with all the chocolate (I'm stressed, can you tell!?) and I heard him start crying. But just as I was about to set foot on the first step up, he stopped. Well, we'll see what happens. Hopefully he will sleep because he so needs it and I need to not hear him screaming for a bit.

I just hope this nasty cold is gone, gone, gone very soon. I hate it when they get sick.

Update: He slept for 40 mins. Uggg. It's going to be a looong, horrible day.

Update 2: When I went in to pick him up he smiled at me and started babbling away. I realized it was only my view of this situation that is making it seem awful and horrible. To him there is really nothing wrong. Sure he feels crappy, but he doesn't know that word or what it means. All he knows is something is different but it doesn't make him any less happy to see me. OK, time to change things up and put a smile on my face because I really am blessed to only have to worry about a little cold and not something more serious!

Triclosan in the news...again...

Interesting article in the news today about the (in)effectiveness of Triclosan. For a while now, many (e.g. the EWG) have been warning against using products with Triclosan. Triclosan is commonly used in handsoap, bodywash, toothpaste, and other products as an antibacterial. In my opinion it causes more harm than good. All you need to stay clean is a nice bar of good ol' fashioned soap!

Isaac's Cute Tricks

Over the last few weeks Isaac has been changing so much. It seems like he's changing so quickly, time does really go by much too fast. I thought I should take a moment to write them down as I sure don't want to forget them all!

Isaac's personality is very inquisitive. He will spend time looking at a toy or an object trying to figure it out. My mom calls him a little scientist. One thing is for sure, he is very curious and I'm sure he will be the little boy who takes a toy apart just to put it back together. This curiosity also extends to the exploration of his surroundings. He has very little fear and is daring and much more of a risk taker than Maddie was. He has already gotten hurt more times than I can count! He is also a smacker, pincher and bra strap snapper! Yep, he's a boy through and through! But he's also very cuddly and loving. His astrological sign is Cancer, and I can certainly see some of those traits already coming through.

One day he invented a new game. We call it the up-down game. While sitting in his highchair he will bend his head down and when you say "up" he will sit back up. We can do that for minutes at a time. It's a great way to keep him happy and distracted while we are all eating supper.

He now says "Mama" and I think he actually means what he says. When he wants to be picked up he will start saying it and also when he's hungry. Pretty much whenever he wants something he will say "Mama". He can say "Dada" as well. He has been able to say that for quite some time, but I think he only recently started associating the word with Daddy. It's way too cute!

He plays "La Mocita" (a Spanish singing game where you sing: "La Mocita, La Calabacita" and the baby learns to touch their head repeatedly as you sing), he started doing this while we were away in Houston and it's only gotten cuter. All you have to say now is, "La..." and he'll immediately start touching his head!

He waves when you say "Bye-Bye/Hi" or "Hola/Adios". I just love watching his cute, chubby little hand opening and closing!

He is trying to sign "More". He can sign "Milk" but I think he associates it more with drinking in general. We are really working on his signs now. He stares at his hands, almost like he's thinking about figuring out how to do it. I'm sure one day soon he will!

He is rolling around like crazy and also scooting all over the place on his bum. He tucks one leg to the back and uses it to push himself around. It's actually to the point where he will be here one second and over there the next. Time to put up the baby gates!!!

He loves to read stories, especially ones with flaps to open. His favorite is "Where's Spot". He knows exactly how each flap opens up, it's really cute to watch his intent little face.

He can give kisses!!! This is my absolute favorite! If you say "Can I have a kiss?" He will open his mouth a bit (yep, open mouth, wet kisses! The best kind!) and he plops a nice wet one right on your cheek. So cute!!!

Maddie just adores him! He is really lucky to have such a wonderful, caring big sister. She is teaching him so much and loves taking care of him. I am lucky too because I don't have to worry about them playing together and don't constantly have to be the referee!

I love my kiddos!!!

Spring clean more than just dust bunnies...

This Spring when you get the urge to clear out Winter's clutter and dust don't forget to take a look through your cabinets at your cosmetics. You might be surprised to see what yuckies are lurking there...

Here's an article from EWG's blog listing the 6 most yucky ingredients that you should try to avoid: "Spring Clean Your Cosmetics" It only takes a few minutes to read it, but you have much to gain from this info.

Here's a list of some of my favorite personal care products:

Baby Balm (Rash/Irritation Cream) by Anointment (anointment also makes wonderful handcrafted soaps, body butters, lip balms and more and can be bought through Nurtured and other retailers).

Body Butter by Rocky Mountain Soap Company (great for eczema and really dry skin).

Deodorant by Rocky Mountain Soap Co. (Finding a deodorant has been tricky! My friend Taryn and I have tried and tested so many kinds! But so far this is my favorite, and I think it's hers too. Soon I will try the one from Green Beaver and see how it works).

Face Cream by Green Beaver

Hair styling products by Giovanni (Atlantic Superstore carries this line).

Hand and Body Soap by Rocky Mountain Soap Co. (their baby soap is fabulously gentle yet effective!)

Hand & Body Lotions by Green Beaver

Shampoo and Conditioner by Green Beaver (cranberry is my favorite!)

Toothpaste by Green Beaver (Wowie! This toothpaste is intensely good! A little goes a long way).

Green Beaver also makes lip balms, lip shimmers and they have a new men's line. Their products can be found at the Healthy Bug (if they don't have something you want in stock, they are more than happy to bring it in for you).

When it comes to make-up it's been harder to find stuff that works but that's also safe. So far Jane Iredale's make-up line is the most effective and safest my friend and I have found (thanks again to Taryn for introducing me to it!). I've also heard of the make-up line by Lavera, which I will give a try someday soon to see how I like it. You can buy Jane Iredale products at any Summit Spa location. The Lavera line is on sale at The Healthy Bug.

For those living in the USA there are many, many options for cleaner cosmetics. Aubrey Organics (widely available, you can even buy online) makes a full line of facial creams, hair care products and even make-up. Avalon Organics is also another company that offers many care products and they also have a wonderful baby care products line. Here in Canada some stores also carry products from both of these companies.

If you'd like to do your own search check out EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. You can look up safe cosmetics and care products and also look up your current products to see how they rank.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Flowers and Easter Eggs

My beautiful Maddie picked out these lovely white tulips yesterday. She also painted the eggs. I did a couple just for fun...how can one resist!?

Happy Easter

Lilac crocus blooming happily in our front garden bed...

On this lovely day I was reminded that kids have no sense of urgency and time. They do not have a "To Do" list constantly running through their mind. Instead, they enjoy every moment to the fullest, living entirely in the Now. Us adults should regain that magical trait...

Today, the sun was shining and the air was warm. We spent a wonderful morning at the Farmer's Market and then had lunch, or a picnic as Maddie calls it, on a bench on the waterfront. Maddie and Ken saw jellyfish, a starfish, a crab and some fish in the harbour. We got to see a huge container ship guided by a tugboat leave the harbour. Then the tugboat docked right in front of us. Isaac waved for a couple minutes as the captain docked, it was the cutest thing ever!

After a nap, Ken built our garden box (the megabox!!!), I made a beet and apple salad and we headed out for supper with family. It was nice to see everyone and spend time chatting and playing. Now the kids are fast asleep in bed and I am just about ready to do the same!

I wish you all a Happy Easter!

Oh Happy Days...

Here's why I don't mind the...

...sleep deprivation, the exhaustion, the lack of "me" time, and all the other hard stuff motherhood entails...because when I see their beautiful smiles, it's all worth it. Here's a little mix of some recent pictures...some are from our trip to BC and some from here at home...

My Take on Attachment Parenting and Sleep

Ah relationships. They make us, they break us. But mostly they make us, because as social beings we seek them out and need them to feel happy, loved and a part of a something. The ways in which we learn to, well, feel about relationships starts from the day we are born, perhaps even while we are still in our mother's womb. As infants, we are wired to seek out our caregivers and form strong attachments to them. This is a survival instinct that goes both ways. We have the instinct to need our parents and our parents have the instinct to care for us. But what happens when for some reason or another that need isn't met?

In today's Western society we value independence. We have come to believe that we can spoil an infant by paying too much attention to her. We have come to believe that infants need to learn to "self-soothe" at very young ages in order to become well-adjusted adults. One of the things parents do to make this happen is to make sure their infant learns to go to sleep on her own, that they do not "coddle" her, or make her create the bad "habit" of needing her parents to fall asleep. More times than not, this is accomplished with a lot of crying from the baby and a lot of strain on the parent(s), who has to withstand the baby crying and to suppress the urge to comfort the baby. Well, in my opinion, this is bollocks. Yes, independence is important, but there is a time and place for everything. Babies need to be dependent first in order to be independent later. If a baby has the opportunity to meet his needs for dependance, he will transition easily to becoming more independent when he is ready.

For me, being a parent means being there for your children, day and night, to show them they can count on you and to ensure that they grow up to have a positive, healthy view of the world around them. A child that grows up feeling secure will feel good about himself and the world around him and he will be empathetic and compassionate to those around him. This approach to parenting has been coined "Attachment Parenting" and it encourages parents to follow their hearts and to approach child-rearing in a way that fosters healthy attachments. If you want to read more about it here are some articles that explain the principles of attachment parenting nicely:

Attachment Parenting
Eight Principles of Attachment Parenting (from AP International).
Dr. Sears' Attachment Parenting Index

The beautiful thing about parenthood is that if you have your heart open you will know what your baby needs, so just trust your instincts, trust your gut. When it comes to being a parent it's always right, you just have to learn how to listen and know what it's saying. But be gentle with yourself too. No parent is perfect and all parents still need time for themselves. So just as you nurture your child, nurture yourself and your partner as well.

Oh and if, like me, you are wondering when that magical night will come when your baby will sleep through the night consistently, just remind yourself that this is just a small part of the big picture, and it will be over all too quickly. Before you know it, your baby will be crawling, talking, running and yes also sleeping through the night. One day all too soon, he will even be a teenager sleeping in (and you will be the one telling them to wake up)! In the meantime do what you have to do to get through this stage (read the 8 principles for tips on finding balance). Also, don't let yourself get exhausted and burnt-out, there are many books that provide gentle solutions to encourage your baby to sleep better (e.g. The No Cry Sleep Solution). But most of all, enjoy it because it passes by much too soon.

P.S. And just for some additional info, here is an interesting article about a recent research study that has shed some light on a not-so-pretty aspect of relationships, infidelity, and how it might pertain to early attachment.