Recent Favourite things (family edition)....

Here's a little list of what we are currently loving these days, according to each member of the family...

Noah (6 months): So while Noah is still a bit young, he does have a few favourite things...

• this teething necklace (even though he's not actively teething yet)
• Eating sweet potato out of one of those mesh feeder bags
• Being carried around in my new Didymos baby wrap (see below)
• This Oball rattle is probably his favourite toy
• watching his big brother run around and be his crazy self

Zachary (32 months):

• Favourite books: Room on the Broom & The Snail and the Whale (anything Julia Donaldson writes is gold)
• Homemade green smoothie pops (we use these adorable round mini pop molds). And going out for ice cream.
• Riding his bike (with training wheels) around our basement, and riding his mini four-wheeler around our backyard. 
• Doing anything his little brother is doing, like wanting to be worn in the baby carrier, wanting to sit in Noah's high chair, or to lie in his crib (Regression? We're definitely going through another phase of jealousy now that Noah is more interactive and playing with Zac's old baby toys). 
• Barilla Plus pasta - I bought these accidentally the first time, and when I got home I was delighted to discover that these standard looking noodles are made from a blend of grain & legume flours (lentil, chickpea, oat & wheat) so they are high in protein and fibre. And they taste pretty close to regular pasta too. Zachary can't tell the difference anyway! I feel so much better about serving him pasta for dinner now! 

Adrien: So my wonderful husband is probably the most un-materialistic person I know. In fact, he hates "stuff"! But I did manage to think of a few of his current favourites...

• Marrakesh Mint Tea - one sip of this delicious tea instantly transports us back to our time in Morocco... when we didn't have kids and life was so simple!
• Apple Music -  we signed up for that 3 month free trial and we have been really enjoying it, especially Adrien. I love the curated playlists.
• screen-printed T-shirts from this local Montreal artist
• Charcoal grilling! We bought our fist ever barbecue this summer and Adrien has been channelling his inner Bobby Flay every weekend. He's becoming quite the grill-master.

Vanessa:

• My woven baby wrap is definitely my new favourite item. After I attended a baby-wearing workshop, I was sold on purchasing a beautiful & ethically made woven wrap. I still love my sakura bloom ring sling and my ergo carrier, but there is something magical about these woven wraps - I have no clue what it is - but I LOVE using it. 
• Green Kitchen Travels Cookbook - I have been cooking from this cookbook all summer and it is so good!
• High rise jeans + a slightly cropped top = my go-to summer outfit
• Guilty pleasure: a handful of frozen milk chocolate Chippits straight from the freezer (why are they so much better frozen?!)
• doyogawithme.com - this website offers FREE yoga classes for all levels (Also, that 7-minute workout app?!! I hate-love it!).

What are your recent favourites?

Exile in Momsville & the light at the end of the tunnel

Life has been anything but normal the past few months. We are still very much in the fog of baby-induced sleep deprivation. And with Noah being 4.5 months old now, and still waking every 2 hours at night, well, that's a fairly big sleep debt we've accumulated.
It's pretty much impossible to feel normal under such circumstances.
But! Two nights ago, out of complete and utter desperation, we had an unplanned impromptu sleep training session (more on that below). And last night Noah had his best sleep ever! So things are starting to look up around here. And I am just praying to God that this is a turning point and not just a fluke one-night stand in Sleepsville.

Read more after the jump....

The Instagram cookie that made me famous for a day, and other random happenings of late....

So the other day, I made Smitten Kitchen's uhhh-mazing salted chocolate chunk cookies.
These cookies are seriously amazing - you need to make them - and yes, you do, in fact, need another chocolate chip cookie recipe. Because this one is better than the ones you already have - guaranteed!

So I posted a photo of my freshly baked cookies on Instagram and the mega food blog Food52 re-grammed that photo of mine, and suddenly I was inundated with new followers. It took me completely by surprise. That silly little cookie photo received over ten thousand likes! TEN THOUSAND! I mean, let's be honest, every photo they post gets around that many likes, but still! That's a lot for little old me.

And I became obsessed with checking my instagram feed that day because every time I did, there would be like 15 new followers. And I got a glimpse of how addictive social media can be when you're in the big leagues... and #thanksbutnothanks, it is far too consuming for me. And while my ego certainly enjoyed the 15 minutes of fame, it's good to be back to real life ;)
But the cookies! For real - make the cookies!

Upward and onward. 

Spring feels like it has finally arrived in the north. We still have plenty of snow, but the air is warm, there are buds on the willow bushes, and the snow is slowly melting. Hallelujah! 

We go for walks. Zac splashes in the muddy puddles while Noah sleeps in the stroller. And it is so good to be outside again. It has been far too long. This whole postpartum crap, especially in the winter, is just not for me. Have your babies in the summer, people.

My in-laws flew up north to visit us in Chisasibi for the first time ever. It was so nice to finally be able to show them what our life is like up here. And perhaps justify why we have chosen to live so far away from everyone for the past 4 years? See, it isn't so bad up here, it's actually quite lovely.

And it was really nice to have babysitters around! Adrien and I got to go cross-country skiing just the two of us - something we haven't been able to do since I was pregnant the first time. It reminded me why we initially fell in love with this northern life.

I am always envious of people who live really close to their families, people who have access to their constant support at any given time. I think having kids in general would be a lot less stressful that way. Sigh. The grass is always greener, right?!

And this little munchkin turned 3 months old this week!

I celebrated this pivotal milestone with a big glass of wine (all by myself, as Adrien was on call at the hospital), after I had single-handedly managed to get both boys in bed by 8:30pm without any tears... from any of us.  Hallelujah!

The 3-month mark is a big one, in my opinion... it's the official end of the newborn period, it's when you can start to see the light at the end of that dark and lonely post-partum tunnel, and it's when babies genuinely begin to be fun to be around. Cheers to me! And to all the other parents out there - it sure ain't easy!

Since Zac has been booted out of the stroller by his little brother, I got him this cool little Freerider scooter that attaches to the back (it can also detach and function as an independent scooter - genius right?!). It's pretty much the bomb-dot-com, and Z loves it!

So that's what we've been up to lately. Life is life. And life is good.

Thanks for visiting!

xo

Vanessa.

Spring comes slow, and having a newborn is hard.

Time is a funny thing. Time goes by so quickly and so tortuously slowly at the same time. I've had no free time at all lately, at least it seems, and so blogging has obviously taken a back seat. 

Even at this moment, I type this with one hand (my left at that) while simultaneously nursing my now 10 week old Noah. Zachary is sick with a bad cold and finally sleeping in his room after an exhausting battle to get him in there. It will probably take me several days to complete this post. At least I've showered.

The days are long, but the years are short. I know. I know.

There are many beautiful moments, splattered messily amongst the difficult ones. Moments so beautiful that my heart swells to the point of impending rupture. And yet, on a near daily basis, one of us inevitably looks at the other, stone cold, and says, "let's never do this again. Two is enough!"

Having a newborn isn't easy. Even the second time around. Even when you've been blessed with a chill one. It's still hard. Anyone who says otherwise is a big fat liar! Or they have a selective memory bias. 

Having a newborn is amazing, and mind-blowing, and magical, and a huge privilege.... but it is not easy!

My brain is foggy. I walk around (and surprisingly function) in a dreamlike state... that particular state familiar to all parents that comes from being woken up every 2-3 hours around the clock for months on end. 

And I'm all about coffee, and pacifiers (those wonderful but cursed pacifiers!), and re-mastering the art of doing everything one-handed (and coffee, and coffee, and coffee some more).

And I worry about my poor brain. Will I ever be able to think properly again? Two year-long maternity leaves will surely take its toll on my capacity to function as a physician in the future. I tell myself that I will read up on some medical literature during Noah's naps.... but that has yet to materialize. Just like my plan to get a little exercise in every day.

And then there's this winter that just won't quit! 

We keep getting glimpses of spring... just enough to keep us hopeful, and then winter strikes back. 

It feels awfully similar to this newborn period we are just on the cusp of exiting... we get glimpses of longer stretches of sleep, and easier days, and then they get stolen back, mercilessly. 

Just like the turning of the seasons. Two steps forward, one step back. I know. I know.

At least we had Florida to sustain us for the month of March. There's nothing like the ocean and a bit of sunshine to soothe a weary soul.

And now we find ourselves back in the far north... in even deeper winter. The snow is so thick it covers our windows and doors. We literally have to shovel our way out some mornings. 

But yesterday I woke up to the sound of birds chirping, and I think that is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner.... even in the remote north.

And no matter how hard winter clings on and fights, spring always wins out in the end. I know. I know.

And this too shall pass.

Life Lately.... Noah and I

Remember when I said that Noah slept all the time? Well, at 5 weeks old, he's definitely woken up! 

We had so much free time (it seemed) in the first few weeks, and life just suddenly got really busy. Such is the reality with two kids, I guess. And even though we were expecting this, it still came as somewhat of a shock to the system. We are adjusting slowly.

But it certainly didn't help that we've been apartment shopping like crazy for the last two weeks. Lugging a toddler and a newborn around the city to visit homes has been quite the adventure, to say the least. Thankfully we just signed the lease to a great new apartment and will be moving in May. It's definitely bittersweet, as we LOVE our current place.... but growing families call for larger homes. Such is life. Upward and onward.

Adrien had to fly back up north this morning for work. And although I'm a little terrified to be left alone with two kids for the first time, it's only for a week. And because I'm a total chicken, I am packing up and going to stay with my parents out in the country for the week, so I will have plenty of help! 

But for today I'm actually home alone with baby Noah. My mother took Zachary to Ottawa for the night (his first time going anywhere without me) to visit family (and give me a little break). He was so excited about it. And suddenly I have all this free time again. I was planning to make the most of it by going out for lunch and doing some shopping, but I changed my mind and decided to stay in my pjs all day, drink lots of coffee, have bubble baths and rent movies.... because I can!

And besides, I could use the spare time just to revel in Noah's cuteness....

He has certainly stolen my heart, that little guy :)

xo

Oh the beautiful chaos...

Life is certainly busy these days. This top photo sums it up almost perfectly ("almost" because we're not always smiling and laughing like this). But for the most part things are going incredibly well. Although there are definite challenges too, as there are with the addition of any newborn baby into any family.

Little Noah has some fairly serious reflux issues, which means I can only feed him small amounts but very frequently. We're on a 2-hour "schedule" in which he wakes up, I nurse him, burp him (which takes forever), and then we desperately try to keep him upright so that he doesn't vomit. But he inevitably vomits, we then change him and his clothes (and then he usually vomits a second time)... and then it's time to feed him again. You get the picture. It makes for pretty exhausting nights.... and pretty exhausting days too when you add 2-year-old Zachary into the mix.

But. I'm not complaining. Yes, we're tired, but we're managing. And reflux aside, Noah is still an incredibly easy baby overall, and I feel eternally grateful for this. And although Zac loves to get all up in baby Noah's business all the time (especially when he's sleeping or nursing), he loves his little brother so so so much! And what more could a mother ask for, anyway?!

Noah is 3 weeks old today and we are kind of in shock at how much faster the time is flying by this second time around. I have to keep reminding myself to slow down and enjoy the present moments, despite the chaos, because they are actually so beautiful, so fleeting, so impermanent.

Photos taken by our friend Catherine, who did a little photoshoot with us over the weekend. Thank you, Catherine, I can't wait to see the rest of them!

Second week of life....

It's hard to believe this little guy has already been in our lives for two weeks now.
They say that time passes much quicker with a second child. Well, I can already say that it's definitely true.

And maybe it's because there's a good chance this time will be my last, or maybe it's because I know now how fleeting this stage truly is, but I am desperately trying to savour these precious newborn moments as they pass.

Our little Noah is still sleeping most of the time, but he's starting to be more awake and present lately.

And he's showing us glimpses of his little personality too... I'd say he has two distinct sides so far: disgruntled old man, and peaceful little buddha-baby.

Oh and the love that Zachary has developed for his little brother is just incredible! 

It's probably one of the most heart-warming things a mamma can witness. Every morning when Noah and I emerge from the bedroom, I hear Zac's little feet running full-speed down the hallway to greet us, saying "Hi Noah!" in the most enthusiastic voice you could possibly imagine. He then leans in really close and smothers him kisses his face all over. And then my heart melts to complete mush. 

It's the sweetest.

Other than some pretty significant reflux (and probably GERD) going on, Noah remains a really easy-going baby so far. He's just such a pleasure to care for and love, and I keep thanking my lucky stars for blessing me with such a sweet little soul. Seriously, I feel so happy I could cry at any given time.

(Oh boy, there I go again being overly mushy... I swear, there's something about giving birth that just rips your heart wide open, and leaves you in this perpetual state of overly lovey-dovey mushiness. That combined with some serious sleep deprivation, any chance at remaining level-headed is, well, pretty much hopeless.)

So, yeah, that's us two weeks in. We're exhausted and definitely missing our sleep, but we are happy.

So far so good!

oxo
Vanessa.

The first week of life...

So we are one week into our new life as a family of four. And for the most part, things are going way better than expected.

This second newborn experience couldn't possibly be more different from my first. It's the complete opposite experience actually.  With Zachary, it was rather brutal, to be honest. He started crying at around the second or third hour of life and pretty much didn't stop until he was 4 months old.
He was inconsolable! The only thing that could stop his screaming was breastfeeding. So I breastfed him constantly... like every hour and a half, around the clock. Adrien would take a middle of the night shift for 2-3 hours pacing around the apartment "shushing" him (until he would almost make himself pass out) just so that I could get a little break. Those were dark days, my friends. Those were very dark days.
(Remember this post from 2 years ago? Yikes, it makes me tear up just reading it!)

But you guys! I think I may have hit the newborn jackpot with this one.
He is soooooooooo easy! Now, I'm well aware that he is only 1 week old, and that things are going to change.... but just for now anyway, I have a dream-baby on my hands. And I am so so so eternally grateful for this gentle start and transition into being a mother of two.

Because our little Noah was born small and a little bit undernourished, he has a lot of catch-up growth to do.  So he's in this quiet sleeping/eating/growing phase right now that demands very little of us, save for a 15-20 minute breastfeeding session every 2-3 hours. But there's no screaming, no crying for no apparent reason, only pure joy. Our biggest challenge so far is actually keeping him awake long enough to take in a decent amount of milk. He sleeps all day and all night when he's not feeding (even then, I'm not entirely convinced that he's fully awake). He even slept through his first bath. It's like he's still in the womb. But every day he has a little bit longer of a wake period, and he looks around contently at the world, sucks on his fingers, and takes everything in.

^^ 1. First bath. 2. Sleep smiling ^^

We had his first doctors visit yesterday, and he's gaining weight like a champ! What a relief!
With my first baby I was constantly feeling that I didn't have enough milk. This time around I have more than little Noah can even handle.

It's all seeming a little too good to be true at this point. But hey, I'll take it! For as long as it lasts...

^^ Zachary's initial reaction to meeting his brother was so precious & sweet. And (for full disclosure) about 1 minute later, this magical moment ended when Zac spotted the automatic hospital bed control buttons.... and let's face it, no newborn baby can compete with that! ^^

^^ big brother, little brother ^^

So how is Zachary adapting to all this change? Well, he's having some ups and some downs, that's for sure. He seems SO proud to be a big brother, and he loves to show visitors how well he can hold his little brother. And so far he has been very gentle with the baby.
But he's also had some mild breakdowns too... like when we tell him "no" to just about anything. He just seems more sensitive and testy overall this week, but I guess that is to be expected.
We are doing our best to give Zac plenty of undivided attention. And so far, thanks to Noah being asleep all the time, our routine hasn't actually changed all that much. I've still been able to put Zac to bed, read him stories and sing him lullabies every night this week.

During the day, Adrien has been taking Zac out of the house (to give me some quiet time with Noah) and going on highly exclusive "big boy adventures"... to the grocery store, or pharmacy, and Zac has been loving this. Yesterday they spent the morning at the Montreal Biodome, while I enjoyed a  leisurely morning of uninterrupted coffee & reading, a long bubble bath, and lots of peaceful snuggle time with baby Noah.
Guys, if you had told me that this is what my first week as a mother of two was going to look like I would NOT have believed you for a second!

^^ Wine & sushi were first up on the menu this week! ^^

^^ 1. Zachary happily helping me make banana bread while Noah sleeps. 2. Zac playing not-so-quietly beside his sleeping brother. 3. Zac enjoying some "alone time", listening to Raffi on my iPhone  with his awesome toddler headphones... he asks to do this on his own, and somehow I think the private time is really beneficial for him. He's processing & integrating so much right now. ^^

After having experienced an excruciatingly difficult newborn the first time, and now an unbelievably easy one the second time (and doing almost nothing differently on my end), I must say that I do think there is a bit of luck involved. It's too easy for parents of easy babies to judge parents of not-so-easy babies thinking they must be doing something wrong (and likewise for parents of difficult babies to compare themselves and believe they must be failures and doing everything wrong).
But in my experience anyway, it seems like babies are just born with a certain temperament. Some are irritable and need to cry all the time, while others are just innately calmer. Having Noah be so easy-going has definitely given me some redemption as a mother. Up until he came along I was under the impression that the reason Zachary had been so difficult as an infant was because of the many "parenting mistakes" I had made. But I'm parenting essentially the same way this time around, and the results are completely different.
Maybe it's not me after all, maybe it's just them.
And no matter what, I know now from personal experience, it all always works out in the end.

Introducing Noah Lawrence... (and his birth story)

On January 27th, 2015, at exactly 11:37pm, we welcomed this little angel into our family. 

He is such a sweet little soul, and I have fallen deeply and profoundly in love with him.

We all have, actually...

It was an incredibly fast and tumultuous delivery, totalling at a mere 4 hours from start to finish!
But we are all doing well and settling in nicely as a family of FOUR!
Life is pretty good these days :)

Read on for Noah's detailed birth story, if you're interested....