ghill life lately

It's Saturday night and Georgie wreaked havoc on my plans

so instead of having a sleepover at our friends house,

the kids and I packed back into the car and came home.

This was a second (failed) attempt at the sleepover.

The idea is that we have dinner, the kids play and then they go to bed so the adults can have a social with some bevies and not have to worry about getting home.

Clearly Georgie hates this plan and has not participated.

So home it is. But we have had some cheerier moments this week.....



1/. little beauty

2/. daddy daycare

3/. shopping cart peek-a-boo

4/. pj warrior

5/. leopard lady

6/. I have consumed more of these this week than I care to admit.

Damn you Costco!

7/. Early Risers Club meeting. Prez and V.P in attendance.

8/. let's go for a ride.

song of the week

 

 

Orpheo Looks Back by Andrew Bird

from the album Break It Yourself

 

 

 

 

this song, this album is on major repeat around here. how amazing are violins? very. 

I'm super excited for Hands of Glory album release on Oct 30th!

 

 

the never-ending saturday

That did in fact end...eventually.

Most people can't wait for the weekend.

 A chance to sleep in, lounge around after a busy week.

Weekends mean neither of those things for me.

I love weekends too but it's certainly not a time to catch up on rest.

Not in this house of not one but two children that enjoy getting up at 4AM!

That's right last Saturday both of my darlings were up at 4am, I mean wide freaking awake.

Not even let's lie in this bed and flail around for a bit "awake".

Full on "Mama I need juice, I need something to eat" awake.

Cue Georgie, smiling, cooing (for once) and toe tapping. Me too!

Are you kidding me?

So by 6:30 am Georgie was ready for a little siesta (yeah you know its bad when your first nap of the day is before you should even be awake on a Saturday!) And by 7 am Oliver had officially played with every toy we own. The weather wasn't great and I was far too exhausted to go for a walk

 so this is what our day entailed

1/. hitting up the jobsite a little early

2/. lounging lizard 1st round

3/. mr. & mrs dressup (hallowe'en spoiler!)

4/. whisk ball- mini sticks improv ghill style

5/. toddler moment- sidebar: oh how I love baby teeth, they are just the cutest even on the toddler monster!

6/. more dress up wrapped in sibling love

7/. truck'n

And yes this was over the course of several hours and yes we wore our jammies all the day long.

Then by some miracle 1pm rolled around and Oliver had a glorious nap and then Georgie went down too and this Mama got to rest her weary bones for a minute or two before everyone got up

and we did it all over again!

Favourites- breastfeeding edition

 

since last week or the week before that was world breastfeeding week,
and every week is breastfeeding week to Georgie and I

I thought I would share some of my favourite bf'ing aids to keep the supply plentiful.

(not in any particular order)

 

1/. Coconut Oil- is beyond amazing. I don't think there is anything it can't do, ok that's probably a bit extreme but when it comes to your health this stuff is magical! I have used it as a nipple conditioner, I have slathered all over my boobs when I felt a blockage coming on, I ingest a tablespoon or two at night which helps with milk production as well as my digestion! Honestly, go get yourself a jar or two or three just make sure it is raw, extra virgin and organic. I use this brand.....

for other benefits click here
 

 

 2/. Beer- sipping on a cold one after the littles are in bed brings a whole new meaning to night cap!The polysaccharides in the barley used to make beer stimulates prolactin which helps us mamas make more milk. I indulge in my beverage when I know that little miss will be asleep for a few hours which allows any alcohol to clear from my milk. **It is recommended that you wait 2 hours after having a drink before breastfeeding** Guy and I quite enjoy tasting new beers from around the world, we call them fancies and its fun to sample new brews other than just the regular brands. This is a nice relatively light beer I have been enjoying lately!

 

 

3/. Water- just can't be beat. This is the most important thing a nursing mama can drink and lots of it! Between 8-14 glasses a day is the recommendation, drinking a glass either while you feed or just afterwards is a good way to ensure you are getting enough of the clear stuff. Adding a bit of fresh lemon is also a good way to spruce it up a bit and get some extra Vitamin C!

 

 

 

 

4/. Smoothies- eating well is obviously important for every one's health but is crucial for good milk supply. Throw no sleep and a baby into the mix and time isn't always on your side to prepare nutritious meals. A smoothie can provide an excellent meal very quickly! Lately I have been blending up coconut water, banana, scoop of protein powder, handful of spinach or kale leaves and frozen berries. If you Google smoothies there about a ba-gillion recipes out there to try!

 

5/. Tea-there's nothing like sipping on a tea to help slow things down a bit. I don't know about you but I don't rush when I'm drinking a tea, it's settling and forces me to relax a little. Really, who slams back a tea or chugs it? Nobody. It's a mind, body, soul thing soooooo I recommend steeping up a Milkmaid or a Red Raspberry LeafNote: Milkmaid tea is not recommended for pregnant mamas, Red Raspberry Leaf tea on the other hand is most definitely something I drank throughout my pregnancy! I drank between 2-3 brews a day during the last month and judging by my quick and easy labour and delivery I 'd say it certainly didn't hurt.

 

Now as for things such as nursing bras, pumps, bottles etc. I'm no expert. I don't have any nursing bras, I have this pump that I used sparingly with Oliver and never for Georgie which means the same for the bottles. I breastfeed exclusively with my breasts (because I just find it easier than messing around with other stuff) so as for any bf gadgets recommendations, I don't really have any.

 

I've been very lucky to have such an easy time with breastfeeding. I haven't had cracked or sore nipples (other than coconut oil, this works great too if you do) both my kids latched on within minutes of their birth. Although Oliver did have a hunger strike during a mad teething session for 3 days once that really threw me for a loop! I don't worry about how much they are taking in at each feed since Oliver grew and gained so rapidly and Georgie is well on her way! The benefits of breastfeeding are tremendous both for mother and babe. Honestly it wasn't something I put too much thought into, I just knew it was the right choice for me and my children. 

snack time!

But it was and is a choice and isn't something that everyone is comfortable with. I can't begin to imagine how difficult and trying it would be to have latching or supply issues, especially with the second baby there is NO time for feeding problems! I certainly don't want to sound high and mighty about bf'ing or project judgement on formula feeding.
Do what works for you and your family.

If you are having trouble or have questions about breastfeeding
check your area for clinics or support groups, I know there is both in my small community!
And be kind to other fellow mamas out there, in times of sleep deprivation and uneven hormones we need support not competition. xoxo

 

song of the week

 

this week's song is

somebody that I used to know by Gotye

from the album Making Mirrors

 

 

 

It's so catchy and gets played pretty much everytime I put Songza on at work!

 

 

ghill life lately

Before we get ready for our turkey celebrations this weekend,

here's a look at what's been going on in ghill lately.

1/. It's pumpkin time

2/. little waves from my little chick

3/. bubble beardo

4/. park adventures

5/. georgie girl's a real hoot

6/. snacks

7/. hello friends

8/. adorable feet

Happy Thanksgiving weekend (Canada)!

 There is so much that I am thankful for and we are looking forward to spending some time

with our nearest and dearest this weekend as we gear up for not one but two big feasts. 



mom on a wire

September proved to be a challenging month.

We've (I mean me) hit the 4 month wall.

Both of my kids were great sleepers for the first 3 months!

While others were experiencing grueling newborn schedules my kids easily slept for 4 + hours at a time. Not to mention the happiness high I was on, the sunshine and rainbows of a sweet new baby.

But then it hits. The 4 month wall, where sleep schedules worsen, teething begins and some dark clouds move in threatening to rain on my parade. Sleep deprivation officially settles in.

Guy was away for about 10 days during the course of the month so parenting a busy 2 year old, a 5 month old (and 12 year old dog) on my own, while working and NOT sleeping

made me feel like I was stretched pretty thin, anxious and stressy (it's a word... maybe?) 

We are on the roller coaster of two year old emotions with Oliver. And it is an intense ride some days! Ok, most days. He is sooooo particular about everything and wants to be oh so independent by doing everything on his own "my do it" or "only me" to be exact. Which is fine, great even except when it isn't working out and there's a screaming baby and then a screaming toddler and a mama who is losing her mind. Of course going on broken/non existent sleep means my "patience well"

is running a little dry to begin with.

And then there is Georgie Girl. She is restless. So incredibly restless.

Even when I hold her she throws her body back and forth, thrashing about with force.

She doesn't want to be put down but she doesn't really want to be held either.

She does want attention, my attention and all of it.
This little lady goes from happy to sad to happy in nano seconds.
Sometimes she even laugh-cries! Our breeding schedule of producing not one but TWO taurus children is really going to bite us in the ass keep us on our toes!

But then there are these beyond incredible moments each day when Oliver is big brothering (it's a word... maybe?) Georgie and she is beaming her toothless grin at him and I am a puddle of mushy love on the floor. My heart is fuller than full. Or when we are together as a family of four, playing and enjoying each others company. Oliver is chatting away to Georgie, giving her toys (her own of course!) and we just get to marvel at our beautiful children and it takes all the other icky stuff away.

I know that one day I'll look back at this time and have forgotten about the sleepless nights or the restless child and long for Oliver to tell me "I sit you Mommy"
or have my little Georgie Girl bounce and kick with joy when she spots me from across the room
(instead of the stink eye I'm bound to get during the teenage years).

It's on a good day, when things are running smoothly (ie Georgie is sleeping, Oliver is at daycare and mama gets to write a blog post while sipping on a hot coffee) that it is easy to get perspective but some days are just hard and some days (as my wise sister once said) "there are too many hours today"