Life Lately

Since we have put our house up for sale, blogging has kind of taken the back burner. Obviously, I'm not currently doing any house projects (beyond constantly cleaning and wiping bathrooms, kitchens and floors!) and life has just been busy with showings.

Selling our house is exciting, don't get me wrong. But it is already getting old needing to have a squeaky clean home at all times. We have had showings, usually more than one, every day since we put our house up except one. Yes, this is a good thing. Not so good? The fact that we still don't have an offer in our hands. While I originally wasn't going to talk about the selling process at all, I think I need to be real here: selling a house kind of sucks! That being said, there has been some interest in the home as of late... So I will keep you posted. And send your good vibes our way.... Because cleaning and leaving home with a 3 1/2 month old on a daily basis is less than fun and definitely throws off any kind of routine. (Parents... You know the importance of a routine!)

Anyway, I thought I would share a few other things about life as of late. Just because.

1. This past weekend was the Victoria Day long weekend. Despite being busy with the house, Joe and I got out for a couple good hikes. We also bought (and used!) a new carrier for Henry called the Onya Baby. It is from MEC. So far, so good. It is much better for our backs than the Baby Bjorn... Which was great until Henry weighed, oh, 10 pounds, and then it was just lacking support. Our new carrier has a waist belt that takes most of his weight. It also makes sure that the baby's hips and legs are aligned  properly. Plus, it is good up to 45 pounds. (although I wouldnt be caught dead carrying a 45 pound child in there... Just sayin'!) Here are a few photos from our hike in Dundas this weekend.

Tired Henry

2. And on the topic of Henry...dare I say it out loud? He has started sleeping through the night! Amazing! Joe and I have also been sleeping much better, obviously. That was sooooo needed. I am very aware that this could change at any time. We are enjoying it while we can, and so far it has been a whole week. Before you get too jealous, let me tell you that along with it has come a bit of colic. Yep, with every battle won appears a new one. But it's easier to take on when you've had enough sleep :)

3. I have started doing Yoga! Joe and I bought a WagJag as a way for the two of us to get out without Henry. The great news is that there is also a postnatal yoga class at the studio, where I can actually bring Henry! Pretty awesome. Also... Yoga is hard. But I think I like it!

4. I've just started following this blog. It. Is. Hilarious.

5. We have been attempting to use the BBQ as vegans lately. Of course, grilled veggies and kebab's are a given. We even found this recipe, which makes the best veggie burgers (lentil bulgur burgers) that we've ever made. The best part is that they stick together reeeeally well, so they don't fall apart on the barbie. I didn't take a picture of them... but let me seduce you with some other vegan BBQ visual treats!

Joe's chickpea burgers

Tofu kebabs

Yum!

6. We are still on the fence about whether we want our next house to be completely or mostly finished (aka needing little work and move-in ready), or whether we want to tackle another fixer-upper. The new fixer-upper at Young House Love and all of their upcoming projects have me inspired. Perhaps we do have another one in us! I guess it really depends on what comes up in our desired location.

7. Lastly, let me leave you with a few photos of our backyard. Isn't it glorious this time of year? We have been loving the nice weather and eating outside. I will definitely miss this... if only we could take our house and yard and plunk it downtown.

Henry at 3 months

Happy May 1st! Today marks 3 months of Henry! You know what that means... time for my monthly photo-bomb! I must say, he is adorable!

It has been the longest and quickest 3 months of my life...is that possible? I mean to say that it's strange to think about life before Henry. It seems like he has been around forever! At the same time, I feel like it was just the other day he was born. I think I say that every month...

We think Henry weighs in at around 14 1/2 pounds these days (according to our scale), although he hasn't been officially weighed for a month, and we likely won't have him weighed again until his 4 month appointment. He's a big guy!

Henry loves going for walks in the carrier these days. We have been enjoying the nicer weather. He loves getting fresh air and checking out the neigbourhood. Although, he does get tired sometimes! We are very excited about the forecast for the next few days! It looks like it is going to be summery!

He also LOVES his Daddy. He is so happy every day when Joe gets home from work. They're a pretty cute pair!

We have been adjusting to life with a baby. I'm definitely feeling the lack of sleep and lack of "me-time". I did go out with my sister, Erin, the other day for a girls night and it felt so great. I am realizing I need to do that more often! (Thanks, Erin! I'm still feeling refreshed!) That being said, Joe and I bought a Yoga Wag-Jag and we are excited to book in some time away from Henry together.

All-in-all, he's a pretty great dude, and we love him, even when he's cranky!

There you have it!

pssssst... don't forget to check out his month-by-month photo here!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Happy St. Paddy's Day everyone!

Henry is enjoying his Irish heritage today and even dressed for the occasion!

Our little guy is 6 weeks old! It is hard to believe. Although it feels like he has always been a part of our family!

On an unrelated note... This article came up today on my Facebook page from the David Suzuki Foundation, about Green parenting. It mentioned the idea of diaper-free toileting, also know as "Elimination Communication". I had heard about it before but brushed it off as cray-cray! 

However, today I thought I would read a little further and was linked to this article, written by a mom following this practice. The idea sounded rather simple in some way... and I realized I already knew many of Henry's "gotta-go!" cues and timings. Of course, if you know me, you'd know that I am willing to try almost anything that helps me to reduce my environmental footprint. So... 

*Did I just publish a picture of my newborn babies' poop? Yep, I did!

Wouldn't you know it... it WORKS! Let me tell you... I was SO excited when he not only peed, but pooped too! My excitement was almost embarrassing... and the cutest part was, he was looking up at me smiling and cooeing while this all happened, as if it was the greatest thing he'd ever done. Oh the bonding.

I was so gung-ho that I kept it going... and so far today he has gone in the toilet 5 times (He is still wearing his cloth diapers, but I am just taking them off when I think he has to go. And I have changed 3 wet diapers, so it hasn't been perfect.) I calculated that if I saved 5 diapers a day, I would save about 75 loads of laundry a year. Isn't that amazing? 

The downfall so far? We don't have a main floor bathroom, so I have been sprinting up the stairs every time I think he has to go. Very tiring, especially when you also have to hold a semi-squat positions while making a "pssss" noise until he pees, which can take some time. After the fifth time, I had physically reached my max! But I can also see this as an upside... bring on the baby weight loss!

I never imagined this would be the highlight of my day...ever. 

The verdict: I love the idea of this, but we will have to see how it goes. I can see it becoming more of a hassle than it's worth. But, I'd ideally like to use it as much as possible. It doesn't hurt!