Thanks Roots and Rings for the Ten on Tuesday questions!


1. Do you wear glasses, contacts, or are you one of those perfect eyed people?
I wear glasses for driving, watching TV and movies and working on the computer. I have three pairs...one in the car, one in the TV room and one that moves around the house with me. I don't love wearing glasses and I think I look better without them, but the idea of touching my eyes to put contacts in freaks me out.

2. What is the next item you are going to purchase?
Groceries in about 10 minutes. Exciting, huh? The next nonessential item I'm going to purchase will probably end up being a Christmas gift or a Starbucks peppermint mocha, since that seems to be all I buy these days.

3. Have you ever watched Judge Judy or any other real court show?
I've had Judge Judy on in the background but never really paid attention. Her voice is annoying and the dirtbags on the show are too stupid to be entertaining.

4. How do you feel about fake nails?
I've had them before and hated them! I like having short, tidy nails that don't get in the way when I'm typing. I hate the way fake nails look when they come off.

5. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Hockey and baseball. I like watching football but not so much on TV. It's a lot more fun to be at the game. I guess that goes for any sport, but especially football.

6. If you could create your own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor, what would it be and what would it be named?
I've never eaten Ben & Jerry's. Is that sad? I love chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and Reese's Pieces so some combination of that would be bomb.com. Or maybe that already exists. Either way, get in ma belly.

7. Do you have any scars?
I have one on my knee from an unfortunate bike mishap when I was 10. It definitely needed stitches. My mom wasn't home at the time and my dad decided he could treat it himself. I very clearly remember us picking gravel out of this gaping wound and then him pouring peroxide in it to clean it out. Good times.



8. Does your pet’s name fit them? Is there a more appropriate name?
Rory's name definitely suits him. We were also considering Frankie for a name when we got him, which would have been just wrong.

9. What is your favorite television show theme song?
Fresh Prince!

10. What was your favorite activity on the playground?
In elementary school we had something called "The Equipment" which now just sounds oddly sexual. It was one of those huge wooden play structures with a couple slides coming off it, some chains you could climb, etc. I used to looooove The Equipment. It's probably been torn down now because I don't think it was totally safe. At lunch hour that thing was like an anthill just teeming with violent, misbehaving children.

The Breastfeeding Nazis are alive and well in Halifax. At our local children's hospital, "breast is best" posters and literature plaster the halls and the rooms. Public health prenatal classes are heavy on the benefits of breastfeeding as well as the supposed disadvantages of feeding babies formula.  During one class we actually had the nurse tell us the story of one poor mother who spent the first six weeks of her baby's life trying in vain to breastfeed unsuccessfully to the point that she was awake pretty much 24/7, in tears all the time, exhausted and wiped out. "But she didn't give up!" the nurse crowed, like it was a good thing. I decided right then that I would try breastfeeding, but if it didn't work out, I'd have no problem switching to formula. No way were my child and I going to suffer for weeks, too stubborn to switch to formula or even to supplement with it. I know breastfeeding is hard for a lot of women and impossible for many and I made a vow to not get upset if it wasn't the right choice for us.

To be honest (and this is going to make me sound like the shittiest parent alive), I was mostly interested in breastfeeding because it's free. That's right. It wasn't about the bonding experience, the antibodies and nutrition Eli would be getting from my milk, the baby weight I'd supposedly lose much more quickly if I nursed - I was excited about the prospect of not having an addition to our grocery bill. Feel free to call child services.

I anticipated nursing to be painful, torturous, and unsuccessful. I fully expected us to be feeding our baby formula just a few short days in. In a pleasant (albeit slightly painful) turn of events, Eli took to it right away and as soon as my milk "came in" he's been nursing exclusively.

Add breastfeeding to the list of Things I Never Thought I'd Do In A Million Years. I have never pictured myself with a baby hanging off my boob. I've never really even thought they were functional, and I always thought the act itself was kind of gross and too hippie for me.

Breastfeeding isn't a picnic. It hurts - especially in the beginning as you're getting the hang of it. Even once you've got the technique down it still isn't super fun to have a small human attempting to suck all of your innards out through your nips. Add a few leaks and occasionally feeling like a dairy cow into the mix and that more or less sums it up.

But it's not terrible either. I like having some quiet time with Eli (you can't scream if your mouth's full of boob, after all.) He makes the most adorable faces when he's eating and I want to take pictures of him but, yanno, TIT. So I don't. I suppose I could edit over them with, like, Wal-Mart smiley faces, but I have better things to do with my 10 minutes of free time per day than crop my boobs out of photos.

This is definitely not meant to be a "breast is best" post. Whatever works for you is best. If your baby is thriving on formula, give 'er! A good formula experience is definitely better than a bad breast experience. If breastfeeding is a success, that's great too. If breastfeeding is a success but you hate doing it, there's no shame in switching to bottles. The most important thing is that baby's getting enough to eat and you are maintaining some level of sanity getting him there. I've already told Eli that as soon as he gets teeth, he can kiss these mammaries goodbye. (Yeah, I know, if they have a proper latch they don't bite you - this is not a chance I'm willing to take).

Seven paragraphs talking about my boobs. Internet, you're welcome. Here are some non-tata related pictures of the boy from today to make up for all the boob talk.  I'm sorry. Next Monday won't be so awkward.





*In an effort to not get too-too babylicious up in hurr, I'm going to be dedicating Monday's posts from now on to all things mamahood. Surely once a week isn't too much to brag about my handsome honey badger and wax poetic on being a new mama. And if it is, don't come around on Mondays! Piece of cake!

Eli, our little honey badger, how are you two weeks old already? The past 14 days have flown by.

We love you more every day, little man. (Or maybe not so little. Porky McChubberson tipped the scales at 8lb 1oz today - our beefcake is really bulking up.)

Peter: "Set an alarm for three hours from now."
Siri: "OK. Your alarm has been set for 3 p.m."
Peter: "Cancel that..."
Siri: "Alarm has been canceled. Now we can all get some sleep."

Peter and I: hysterical laughter

Siri, you sarcastic whorebot.

Santa, I have been very good this year! Let me make my case a bit:

• I volunteered at the Canada Games
• I had a baby
• I went to church voluntarily on non-holiday Sundays
• I donated clothes to good causes

If that doesn't merit a visit from St. Nick, I don't even know what to do next year.

My Christmas wish list is as follows:

1. New running shoes. Eventually, I will make my slow, clunky and uncoordinated return to the gym, and when I do I'm going to need new sneaks to get me there. Preferably ones that work with my Nike+.
2. While we're at it, some new workout gear (t-shirts and capri leggings) would be great too. It's hard to get excited about working out in public when you're alternating between a sweat-stained T-shirt that says "Bust A Move" and a Presidente one from our last trip to Punta Cana.
3. New everyday clothes that don't need to fit over a beach ball. I just put on a pair of pre-Eli jeans yesterday and buttoned them up with no Bella Band required. I may have cried a tear or two of happiness. It's so nice to not need to dress like I am a tent anymore.
4. Clinique products - specifically Dramatically Different lotion and an All About Eyes eye roller ball. That thing works wonders on tired, puffy eyes! I've used Dramatically Different for years and it's my favourite moisturizer.
5. Books - there are a few that I'd like. Q&A A Day: A Five-Year Journal looks intriguing. I'm also curious about 11/22/63.
6. A Pandora charm for my bracelet. The last one I added was the "pea in a pod" charm back when I found out I was pregnant with Eli in March. It would be nice to have a new one to commemorate the little guy's arrival. 
7. A steam mop. Cleaning supplies for Christmas? Who the hell am I?! I love the fact that it uses water to clean the floors, not harsh chemicals or pricey products, and that it cleans a variety of surfaces (hardwood, tile, laminate - all stuff we have in our home). It would be safe for both baby and dog and might even encourage me to clean the floors more than twice a year.
8. A Glamour magazine subscription. Getting a magazine in the mail is something I look forward to every month and Glamour has been my favourite for years.
9. A new day planner. Specifically, an Erin Condren life planner would make me a happy and organized girl all year long.
10. Friday Night Lights Season 4 on DVD. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

Gotta get get.

What's on your wish list this year?

I promised myself months ago that when the baby was born, this wouldn't become a full-on mommy blog, and it's not going to. But the past week has been devoted to welcoming our little man, getting used to one another, and falling more and more in love with Eli. I really have nothing else to talk about this week. Next week, maybe.

I cannot believe Eli is a week old already. The past seven days have flown by. It feels like we do very little all day - nap, feed, change diapers, take paparazzi shots of the baby - and bam! it's bedtime. In spite of feeling like I'm doing nothing, time is flying. I feel like he's already noticeably bigger and that his looks are changing.

A lot of this whole mamahood thing is easier than I'd expected. Getting up three times a night to feed Eli hasn't been the hellish ordeal I'd assumed it would be, probably because weeks of pregnancy insomnia prepared me for sleepless nights. We wake up every three hours, feed him and go back to sleep, and it ain't no thang. When I'm feeding him I go online on my iPod, check emails and Twitter, play music for us and chat to Pete and before I know it we're all done.

I had never changed a diaper in my life, never dressed a baby...in fact, I had barely held a baby. I'd been worried it would feel unnatural and awkward, but it hasn't. I'm grateful for that. 

There are a few things that are harder than I'd anticipated. Recovery, for one. I seem to have skipped the chapter on mama's physical recovery from birth, and went straight from labour and delivery to caring for baby. I was totally unprepared for how I'd feel. Stitches blow - I'll leave it at that. I'm so anxious to get back to normal, going to the gym, taking long walks with the baby, and the recovery period is frustrating and feels long, even though it's only been a week so far and I could have a while longer before I'm feeling 100%.


I'm excited about feeling better, but mostly I'm excited about all the things we'll be able to do over the next few weeks. Taking him for fall walks in the park. Getting him a Christmas stocking and a special ornament for the tree. Picking out a picture for our Christmas card. His first smiles and giggles. Shopping for new outfits for him - now that we know he's a boy we don't need to stick to gender-neutral stuff anymore. Filling in the blanks in his baby book.

Here's our little beefcake's one week photo - he brushed his hair just for the Internet. He's a very dapper little gentleman.

Eli Alexander surprised us all when he arrived right on his due date - November 10 at 3:35 a.m. He weighed 7lb, 3.5oz, and was 20 inches long. He's got TONS of dark hair...we're talking baby toupee style. He has huge grey eyes, big hands and the most perfect teeny toes.



He might have his dad's hair and eyes but he has mama's appreciation for deadlines and efficiency. At 6:00 we were eating poutine at home. At 7:00 my water broke at the hospital. The first time I was checked for dilation I was 3cm...the next time they checked me I was a 10cm. And so on and so forth, all night long. Mr. Eli isn't a big time waster. When there's a job to do, he gets it done.


We've been home a few days now and are still getting into the routine of having another little man around the house, but everyone's been adjusting well. Eli is a champion eater and sleeper, which makes things easier. Peter has been absolutely perfect and even Rory is pretty happy with his new baby brother.


I'll get into more details on the birth story in another post, but for now I'll say that even with being tired and sore and having multiple moments every day where I stop and think "I can't believe I'm actually (insert name of baby-related task here)", this is the happiest I've ever been. I love being a mom and I absolutely adore Eli. People had told me about the kind of instant, intense, unconditional love you feel when you have a baby of your own, but it's something I can't explain. I feel lucky and so, so blessed.

There are a few simple skills I would like to master,  but no matter how hard I try I can't seem to get the hang of them:

• The art of applying eyeliner. I feel like I have weird eyes or something, because when I try to replicate what looks hot and effortless on EVERYONE ELSE I end up looking like a raccoon with an allergy problem. I can do the upper lash line of my right eye, no problem. When I try to do my left eye the line gets all crazy and crooked. Then I don't know what to do with the bottoms. Inside the rims? Outside? Why is it smudging? Why does it make me look so tired and haggard? Why does everyone make it look so easy? No one has ever taught me to apply eye makeup correctly so I'm like a lost baby in the woods. I usually just end up wearing lots of mascara, which is like frozen pizza: impossible to eff up.
• Getting my hair to hold a curl. I have straight, thick hair and it doesn't like to curl. I even invested in a fancy curling iron but all I seem to be able to do is get the ends to flip up. Am I holding it wrong? Wrapping it wrong? Do I need to be using product? Should I just give up? 
• Painting baseboards and trim. I can use all the painter's tape in the world and it still looks like our trim was painted by high children. Solution: Install wider, pre-painted trim.
• Making perfect scrambled eggs. I know that the secret is to cook them over a low heat and they turn out perfectly fluffy and pro. I get alllllllmost to that point - and then I get impatient and crank the heat. And the eggs end up browning. So we've waited 35 minutes for meh eggs. Not worth it.
• Driving a standard. I've tried and failed. I have shed many tears over my inability to drive a standard, especially when I look around and see complete idiots doing it left, right and centre. My problem is letting the clutch out too quickly and stalling the car every single time. Well, I have places to go and I don't have an hour to sit around letting my clutch out all day. 

What supposedly "easy" tasks do you find impossible? 

39 weeks 4 days. HOLAAAY!

There are now THREE DAYS until our due date, November 10. THREE DAYS!! The full moon happens to fall on our due date, too. According to my great-uncle Floyd, who has seen probably hundreds of cows give birth to calves on full moons, I'm definitely going to have the baby that day. (Humans and cows operate much the same way, apparently, at least when it comes to birth.)

A strange thing happened over the weekend. My anxiety and fear has all but disappeared and has been replaced by kind of an eerie calm. It's like my brain has finally accepted that this baby is coming, so I better suck it up and get used to the idea. I'm still not experiencing any big panic to get to the hospital but at least now I'm OK with going when it's time.

I LOVE the anticipation of wondering whether it's a boy or a girl in there and I've got to say I'm so happy we didn't find out at our ultrasound...it's going to be an amazing surprise!

Knowing that there's a very good chance this was our last baby-free weekend, we crammed in as much "we" time as possible over the past couple days. We went Christmas shopping, had dinner with friends, went out for breakfast, and spent a lot of time with Rory, walking him and taking him to the football field near our house for a good game of fetch-the-stick. I caught up on episodes of America's Next Top Model and Glee and made a whole bunch of crafts I've seen on Pinterest, and Peter played his Gears of Duty Halo 3 or whatever the kids on Xbox are into these days. We had a movie date and got Starbucks and went to the gym twice. We spent some time just enjoying being at home, hanging out, comfortable, quiet.

It was weird thinking that this could be the last time we go see a movie without having to get a babysitter, or the last time we go to the mall without a stroller. At breakfast, we saw couples eating with their babies in car seats next to them, and it was surreal thinking that next time we go out for breakfast we could be doing the same. Things are about to change so much. I don't think you can actually fully prepare. I think we're as ready as we're going to get.

Any day now, baby! Come on out whenever you like.

How Far Along: 39 weeks and four days.

Size of baby: The size of a watermelon. I'm hoping a smallish watermelon.

Total Weight Gain: As of last week's appointment I'm up between 15-17lb. I can't wait to get back to normal.

Maternity Clothes: The whole pregnancy, I only bought two pieces of maternity clothing: a dress and a blouse. I have been wearing my old jeans with my Bella Band along with leggings and long cardigans. The "shirt" I'm wearing in my picture is actually a dress... What sucks is it's getting colder and none of my coats fasten over my belly. Luckily the weather this week is forecast to be pretty mild so hopefully by the time the really wintery stuff comes I can wear my coats again.

Gender: Mystery! I have no inclinations one way or the other.

Movement: Still a big mover. The other night my stomach was like a family of raccoons trapped in a blanket. It was actually painful.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing specific.

Labor Signs: I don't know if I'm having false contractions, Braxton Hicks, or if I just need to go to the bathroom. They all feel the same.

What I miss: Sleeping on my back and belly. Being able to pick something up off the floor without strategizing on ways to avoid bending over first. Running and lifting weights. Wine. Eggs benedict. Being able to fasten my pants. Being able to sleep between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 AM.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting our little beastie, finding out if it's a he or a she, not looking like a gargantuan whale, going for a super long run, gorging myself on soft-poached eggs and Brie cheese, Christmas time with our little family.

I've posted here about my efforts recently to save money and be as cheap financially responsible as possible while I'm on mat leave. I've signed up for a number of deal-finding sites and as a result I get half a dozen emails every morning for 80% off microdermabrasion and teeth whitening. HOW WHITE CAN YOUR TEETH POSSIBLY BECOME? HOW MUCH SKIN CAN YOU ACTUALLY BUFF AWAY? Even for 80% off?

When I was asked to check out couponpromocode.ca, I couldn't help be a leeeetle bit skeptical at first. But after spending some time browsing around, I realized it's a useful tool and totally unlike the Groupons of the world. If you enjoy online shopping (who doesn't?), it's a great resource that scours online coupons and promotional codes and posts them daily. Before you purchase something online, check out this site and if there's a valid promotion ongoing, you can snag the code to plug in at checkout.

The site is organized both by coupon category (books, electronics, fashion, travel etc.) and with alphabetical store listings, so whether you're looking for a specific item from a particular store or just browsing, it's easy to find promo codes you're interested in. Feature codes are also highlighted on the homepage and in the blog.

After browsing the promo codes currently available, some of the deals that caught my eye included:

• Free custom iPod engraving from the Apple store. 
• Extra 30% off sale items at jcrew.com.
• 20% off Porter flights.
• $25 off Travelocity hotel bookings.

There's also a "free stuff" tab where you can sign up to receive free samples of all sorts of goodies: laundry detergent, light bulbs, gum, photo prints and more. 

The only thing I didn't love about the site is that a lot of expired promo codes are still being displayed, so you need to make sure to check the dates of the coupon before you get too excited. But overall, it's worth your while to take the extra minute or two before making an online purchase to check this site - you could be eligible for free shipping, a bonus gift, or additional savings. Well worth it!

What would I do without Pinterest? Well, I wouldn't be having this for dinner tonight, and I wouldn't have spent 20 minutes yesterday making an infinity scarf out of an old T-shirt I was planning on throwing away anyway. When I found this DIY scarf tutorial promising no knitting or sewing skills required, I decided to give it a try. I have had a hankering for an infinity scarf for ages, but can't knit or sew to save my life. But I can cut a T-shirt into strips!

I recently cleaned out my closet and this revolting old Joe Fresh T-shirt was slated for the bin. Honestly, who buys a hunter orange 3/4 sleeve T-shirt? This is called "impulse buying from the super-sale-clearance rack." I wore this abomination once: to paint the house. I think it was $5 though so no biggie.

I decided to try to repurpose it instead of throwing it out, because orange is kind of fun for fall, after all. Here's how you do:

1. Lay your T-shirt out flat and cut off the bottom hem.


2. Start cutting it into 1" - 1 1/2" horizontal strips.


3. Keep going until you reach the armpit, or in my case, the bottom of the v-neck.






4. Once you're done, stretch all your strips out wide. The edges are supposed to curl up. I used a ribbed t-shirt so I didn't get the best curl-age. Next time I'll try a plain jersey T for better results, but here are my stretched-out strips.


5. Next, you can twist, braid, weave, mix colours, whatever you want to do to your little heart's content. I kind of twisted my strips up and used a little piece of the cutoff hem to secure them - just tied it in a knot around the strips.


6. Annnnd you're done! Here is the finished product - long enough to loop around twice.


As mentioned above, next time I'd use a plain, unribbed shirt to get curlier strips. And the bigger the shirt you use, the longer your scarf will be. I'll be scouring my drawers again looking for big, fugly T-shirts that are ready for the old heave-ho. I might ransack my husband's drawers too. Shhh.

Easiest scarf ever - 20 minutes and you're done!

Edit: Hubby threw away a white T-shirt and I snatched it out of the garbage to make another scarf. This was an unribbed shirt and it worked much better - it got a lot loopier, and since it's bigger it makes for a longer scarf. Now I totally want to go to Frenchy's and buy a hundred old men's T-shirts and make scarves all day and night.