How To Have Trendy Nails With a Baby

Zoya Pixie Dust in Nyx

Who doesn't love a good manicure? It always makes me feel so nice to look down at my hands and see lovely, well-groomed nails. Even if sometimes they have poop on them for a moment while I'm changing Senor Squirmy's diaper. If painted nails aren't your thing, I get it, and that is cool. If, however, you were once a nail polish lover before baby and now have no idea how to incorporate it into your life, I can show you one of my shortcuts.

I guess it's really much more of a mini, multi-step process rather than a shortcut. This is because I never have enough time to give myself a mani in one go. Something will inevitably happen that will result in some globby, half-assed mess, that will make me sad that I even bothered to try.

As for trendy nail polish, I have found that the easiest kind to use is the textured kind. Zoya's Pixie Dust collection is to die for! They've got a nice selection of pretty colours for all seasons, and the best part is that they are "5-Free". They are guaranteed to be free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl pthalate, and camphor. I used them while I was pregnant and my doctor loved the idea so much that she bought a bunch for herself too!

Textured nail polish certainly isn't for everybody, but I am obsessed with them. They dry really matte and sparkly, and feel like sugar cubes. Plus they last forever and a day and aren't as difficult to remove as regular sparkly polishes. What else is wonderful about them is that you don't need a base coat or top coat, and they dry more quickly than regular polishes (about 10 minutes).

Zoya Pixie Dust in Vespa

Lilibeth's Sneak-in a Manicure Today Plan:

1. Clip and/or file your nails straight across after you brush your teeth in the morning. Round off the corners so you don't slice your child.

2. Push your cuticles back in the shower.

3. Moisturization is key. If I don't, my nails peel and my cuticles crack and bleed.

4. Wash hands and apply one coat of Pixie Dust at the beginning of one of Noah's naps.

5. If he is still asleep after 30 minutes, it is a go for a second coat! If not, wait til next nap.

After the second coat, you are essentially done and you have really fun, funky nails without having to go to the salon. Of course, you could always ask your partner to give you an hour to yourself one day, if they are around. I know Brendan is always happy to oblige and let me indulge!

Zoya's also got a special going on until the end of the week. (Yesss!) If you buy 3 Pixie Dust nail polishes and use the code LOCK, you get a free miniature manicure kit that includes polish remover, base coat, top coat and drying drops. Free shipping on any order over $30 +gift with purchase as well. Pretty sweet. I think Zoya might only be available in the USA though, I'm so sorry if this was a tease. I do know that some drugstore brands like Sally Hansen have their own version of the textured polishes. xoxo

Newborn Essentials Checklist

When I got pregnant I knew pretty much zip, zero, zilch about babies and what was needed to keep one alive. I started babysitting when I was sixteen, so I knew how to take care of other people's children for a few hours, but newborns are a completely different story. What clothes and supplies do you need? How do you dress your baby? How can you make sure you don't have too much stuff that you won't use, or not enough things? I wanted to err on the side of too little, so that I wouldn't have any regrets about spending money on things we never got to use. Turns out, this was a good plan!

What we ended up needing and using for Noah:

6 side snap short sleeved onesies. This was the smartest move I ever made, because when you are inexperienced with babies, slipping onesies over their heads feels like the most complicated and scary thing you've ever done in your life. I recommend side snaps over front snaps because they won't irritate your newborn's umbilical stump. There will probably be some days where you will need all 6 when you're getting the hang of diapering. If you are unsure about how big your baby will be (which most of us are), you can get 3 newborn size and 3 of the 0-3 month sizes.

Babies should always be wearing at least two layers of clothing, since they don't have enough body fat yet to keep themselves warm. The rule of thumb is that they should have one more layer on than you would.

4 sleepers. My babe was a winter baby, so we had two cotton sleepers and two microfleece ones. You may get bored of seeing the same jammies over and over, but they will outgrow them so quickly that you will graduate to the next size up before you know it. Pajamas with built-in mittens are even better!

3 hats. Noah had a huge head right from the start, so the newborn hats fit him for about two weeks. If you get a few hats in different sizes, that would be your best bet! (newborn, 0-3 months, 3 months) Then buy what fits after baby is born.

4 washcloths. Baby washcloths are smaller and softer, perfect for gentle, new skin. You'll find these handy when sponge bathing baby in the early days, and cleaning up spit up.

Baby shampoo/body wash. You won't need to bathe baby for a while, but this is a staple.

140 newborn diapers. The bare minimum, because you can use up to 10 diapers a day. These should last at least two weeks, until you figure out what size your baby needs. The hospital will give you a small pack of diapers as well.

1 box of Kirkland brand wipes from Costco. Trust me, you'll thank me later. $19.99 for 900 wipes (9 packs of 100). They are made from a sustainable fiber, are biodegradable, thick, moist, and unscented.

Vaseline. For helping to remove the super sticky meconium from your baby's sensitive bottom.

4 muslin swaddle blankets. You can use these for actual swaddling, but you will always find them useful well into toddler-hood, I am told. They are so cute, soft, breathable, warm, lightweight, and absorbent. In a pinch you can use them as burp cloths too, and for keeping baby warm in the stroller.

3 Summer Infant SwaddleMe "blankets". Let's face it, when you are sleep-deprived and don't have the brain cells to swaddle a newborn, this incredible invention is a godsend. It's like speed-swaddling. So good. If you are my friend and you are expecting, you can also expect this from me as a gift!

Thermometer. This is for your piece of mind in the beginning, especially when you can't for the life of you figure out why your baby is crying and you are trying to rule out everything, like fever. Before you leave the hospital, make a note of your baby's normal temp, cause some run hotter or colder than others.


4 Burpy Bibs. We used Aden+Anais burpy bibs because they are amazing. They can convert from shoulder burp cloths to snap on bibs. LOVE. THESE. I confess that we have 80 million of them, but I think we only needed about 4.

2 sheets for a bassinet or crib. Pretty self-explanatory, one for use while one's in the wash.

Car seat. Some hospitals won't even let you go home with the baby unless you show them your car seat.

Unscented Laundry Detergent. It doesn't have to be "baby detergent", anything unscented and dye-free will do.

Next week I will be posting about what I packed in my hospital bag and what we actually needed! Happy Saturday everyone!

Drum Roll Please!

I am super excited to announce that the winner of the Aden+Anais swaddle blankets is:

 Justine Starrick! 

The winner of the Aden+Anais muslin bibs is:

Amber Faerber Chapman!

Congratulations Justine and Amber! I've emailed you both, so check your inboxes please. Thank you to everyone who participated, my little blog and I truly appreciate your readership and support. All of your kind and encouraging messages mean so much to me. 

I will be having more giveaways soon, so stay tuned. ;) Have a great weekend everyone!

Putting Things in Storage

I just finished folding and packing away all the clothes that Noah has recently outgrown. It breaks my heart every time I have to do this, not necessarily because I'm sad that my son is growing up so quickly, but because I have no idea if we will have another boy munchkin who will get to wear all of these incredibly cute little outfits. If we have a girl next, that would be great! But then we will for sure say goodbye to Noah's old clothes. **sad mommy**

I can't get over how much stuff we have to bring down to storage: his Snugabunny swing, baby bathtub, and a second crate of his clothing. When I put his blue sunhat in the crate, I almost had a panic attack. I know that kids grow quickly, especially in the first year, but I wasn't prepared for how I would feel about it. Well, maybe I'll hold off on putting the sunhat away until after our California trip. :)

Witnessing Noah learn new things and seeing him pull new tricks out of thin air, feels like such a privilege! He babbled back at me today, as if he was responding in conversation. He's never done that before and I burst out laughing at how wonderful it was. I'm relieved to be a stay at home mom, even if it means that I am mentally and physically drained from running after my little beastlet all day. I'm the one who always gets to see his next new "thing" before it becomes a regular part of his baby repertoire. I'm the one he crawls to if he's upset or feeling tired or hungry. I'm his mommy, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Anyway, this post really isn't about anything at all but my mommy musings. I am just thankful. Life is good. Life is hard. But it's only ours to live for the briefest moment.

I will be kicking off the weekend by announcing the two winners of my Aden+Anais giveaway tomorrow! OhmygoodnessI'msoexcited!

8 months

1 hour

Travelling With Baby

I hope we get to see Karl the Fog

This coming October we will be flying to San Francisco for our first real family vacation. While I am super stoked cause I've never been, and I have wanted to go since I was little, I am kinda terrified. Noah is a very good natured baby, and we don't have to deal with scary/annoying customs agents at the airport, but the whole process is pretty daunting.

First, there is the sheer amount of stuff that we have to bring just for Noah. You don't really realize and appreciate the comforts of home until you have to leave home behind and all its handy amenities. Then there are the potential dirty looks we will get when the other passengers see a couple with a baby. If you are one of these people, rest assured that the parents of the baby will be way more stressed out and put out then you will be, so give your attitude a rest. (Please and thank you!)

Here is a list of the ridiculous amounts of baby stuff we have to bring with us:

• a week's worth of diapers and wipes (40 diapers? A packet of 100 wipes?)
• baby travel crib and sheets, Balthazar Bunny
• car seat travel bag and car seat
• travel high chair
• travel stroller & gate check bag
• Ergobaby
• a week's worth of formula, cereal, and food
• baby bottles, spoons, bibs
• two sets of clothes for each day plus pajamas
• sleep sacks
• baby sunblock, diaper cream(s), shampoo, lotion, soap
• baby Advil, thermometer, snot sucker
• an arsenal of baby toys & lightweight books

That is a whole lot of stuff for two people to carry, plus baby, PLUS all of our own things. Although, what's great about the car seat travel bag, is that it serves as Noah's checked baggage (it's free), and a friend of mine suggested that we stuff it with things that we will use when we arrive, like a pack of diapers, blankets, and anything else that you can think of that will fit. Genius!

In case you were wondering, yes, I have already started packing. I like to be prepared! My husband is the kind of guy who packs the morning of, and I am the kind of girl who packs weeks beforehand, go figure.

At the very least, this trip will be kind of a practice run for our big flight home to Toronto over the holidays. (Eeek!!!) He is so mobile and squirmy now, but I'm hoping the novelty of the plane will last until we land.

Do you guys have any air travel tips or tricks for mommies and daddies? Should I just meditate and go with the flow? Should I brush up on earthquake knowledge?? I know, I know, I should stop worrying and just focus on the fun we'll be having as a family. Also, I'm stupidly excited for In-N-Out burgers that it's just abnormal. Look at this beautiful beast, I can't wait:

Oh Animal style, I think we will be fast friends

Anatomy of a Diaper Bag

Yet another reason why I love my stroller is that it basically serves as a giant purse on wheels. It takes the strain off my shoulders, while holding my baby safely and storing both his and my stuff. Combined with the Mommy Hook and the basket underneath, it also turns into one of those handy, old lady shopping carts when necessary!

I actually bought myself a diaper bag a year before Noah was born, but I think I used it maybe half a dozen times. Now I find it more comfortable and natural to use my big purses instead. The only one who would need a diaper bag is my husband, and Noah rarely goes anywhere with just his daddy. If they do go out, it isn't anywhere far, so going home for a quick change or feeding is easy.

I have tried so hard to streamline the essentials in the hope of lightening my load, but it has only ever resulted in being horribly unprepared, stressed out, and embarrassed. I also couldn't do it without the aid of some sort of purse organizer. I like to line my bag with a Purseket Organizer that contains my personal items, so that Noah's items can go in the middle where they are easily accessible.

What goes in each Purseket compartment:

• hand cream & mini diaper cream tube
• lip balm & mirror (for checking that you don't have poop or barf on your face)
• keys on the built-in key post
• iPhone
• Kleenex, pen and purse hanger 
• nail file, hair tie, hand sanitizer, mini reusable bag
• my camera -not pictured because I am using my camera ;)

What goes in the middle of my diaper "purse":

• diaper clutch
• formula, water, bottle
• hand & face wipes
• bib and face cloth
• roll of baggies for soiled diapers
• my wallet and more reusable bags
• one-piece outfit for Noah
• an Aden+Anais blanket on top of it all
• favourite toys

Toys, aka: Sanity Savers

What's in my diaper clutch:

• 3 diapers, travel wipes (Honest's are great and streamlined, but I prefer the hard cases that Huggies sells. My friend gave me a beautiful yellow & grey personalized one!)
• large changing pad
• also pictured is the blanket I mentioned, cause Seattle weather is crazy all over the place

Alright, so I just stuck this thing in all it's full glory on my bathroom scale, and it is just over 5lbs but not quite 6lbs. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it is if you are going a long way. Trust me, my shoulder can vouch for that statement!

After this past weekend, I would say that putting a shirt in there for yourself is a smart thing to do, cause Noah peed on my shirt while we were at a restaurant on Saturday. BUT, I think it was a fluke and poor planning on our part, since his diaper was clearly over saturated, poor guy.

On our really long walks, I have brought along some baby Advil, because I am way too scared to deal with a meltdown in public due to teething. I also know that very, very soon, this huge baby arsenal will also contain snacks, packets of food, and bigger toys and books.

I better start working out.

~*Thank You*~

I just wanted to thank you all for reading my blog, and I wanted to give a special thank you to those that participated in my giveaway. There are only 2 days left to enter, so get your entries in! I for one am super excited, and I am not the one who is going to win any prizes. (Dorkface!) Still time to enter here: Giveaway!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Noah and I are off to our first Mommy & Baby class together this afternoon, after a weekend full of family time! A few shots from yesterday:

Lilibeth's Baby Registry Must Haves

I have to confess that I already had a baby registry started before I even knew I was pregnant. No, I am not even a little bit superstitious. I know it can be daunting and stressful to have to think about everything you need for baby, so here is list of registry items I found to be awesome. It's a nice starting off point, just to get the cogs turning and really let you explore what you might want and need. Later in the week, I will be dedicating a post to newborn essentials (clothes, what sizes to get, diapers, etc), and also what you need in your diaper bag, so keep an eye out, or better yet, follow me on Blogspot. :)

1. Britax B-Agile Stroller:

If you click the link above, it will take you to the post where I sing the praises of the Britax B-Agile. BUT, don't forget to make sure that you have the proper car seat adapter for it if you plan on using it with an infant car seat. It comes with the adapter for the Britax Chaperone and B-Safe seats.

2. Chicco Keyfit 30:

We actually didn't own this one, because we already had a Graco car seat from my travel system purchase foible. I recommend the Chicco Keyfit because it is the top rated infant car seat in the USA. Several of my friends have this and love it. They come in a plethora of pretty colours, fit a baby from 4lbs to 30lbs, and the usual deal with the super safe five point harness. It is a little bit heavier than the Graco SnugRides, so if you'll be lugging baby around like I had to (up a hill from my garage and up a flight of stairs), the SnugRides are a great, safe, lighter option.


3. Fisher-Price Snugabunny Swing:

Full disclosure: you will use this swing for maybe 7 months tops. We got ours for $99, as opposed to $170 at full price, but seriously, this thing paid for itself tenfold, don't be shy to put it on your registry. It plays two different types of music, water sounds, nature sounds, has six speeds, swings in TWO different directions, there's a moving mobile, and even a five point harness for ultimate safety. Also, it doesn't just run on batteries, you can plug it right into the wall (but it can run on batteries if you want to use that option).



4. Bassinet:

My best friend gave us our Graco Travel Lite Crib, and we loved it! When we received it, we set it up immediately a few months before Noah was born, so that it could air out. I wiped it down to minimize any chemicals coming off it, since it's made of plastic. Noah seemed to think it was really comfortable, as long as he felt warm. He was born in January, so it was quite chilly. One of my mama friends recommend placing a hot water bottle in it before laying baby down, to make it more comfortable if you happen to have a winter baby. (Check first to see that it's not hot, just warm!) Bassinets are great because you can keep baby close to your bed without having a great big crib in your room, plus you can wheel it around the house to wherever you need to be.

5. Boppy Nursing and Lounger Pillows:

Everyone knows that nursing pillows are a necessity, not just for breast feeding, but also for tummy time. Boppy makes a great one with cute covers, or you can buy a naked one and have a cover custom made in your nursery colours from any number of great sellers on Etsy! Don't bother getting the "water-proof" protector, because it's not actually waterproof and pretty much does nothing. The second must-have Boppy Pillow is their Lounger. Our friend Lani recommended it, and OMG it saved our lives every single day for the first 4 months. Noah napped so well in it, and even when he was awake, he would just sit happily in it, watching us! Once your babe starts rolling over though, it's game over for the Boppy Lounger. It is such a comfy pillow that Brendan and I used to fight over who got to use it when we watched tv, once the munchkin was asleep.



6. Ergobaby Carrier:

^^Follow that link for my post on Ergobaby carriers! If you're going to be using it for your infant, they do sell infant inserts so that baby fits better and more safely in it when he's small.

7. Avent Glass Bottles & Steam Sterlizer:

Avent is all kinds of awesome. Their products are durable, reliable, useful, and nice to look at. We made the decision to use only glass and stainless steel bottles when bottle feeding Noah, and Avent makes some of the best glass bottles around. They come in 4oz and 8oz sizes, but if you ask me, the 8oz is more cost effective, since you won't be using the 4oz ones for very long, if at all. We only have 2 bottles, but if you don't feel like washing bottles multiple times a day, get however many works for you. The Avent Microwave Steam Sterilizer is also awesome. We liked it better than the bags, because it rinses and dries more quickly. If you didn't already know this, baby feeding tools (breast pump parts, bottles, nipples) and pacifiers all need to be sterilized before given to baby, especially in the first three months.

8. Nosefrida Snotsucker and Saline Drops:

The first time I used this essential tool, I gagged! You never actually suck snot out of your baby's nose directly into your mouth, but it feels like you are. Once you get the hang of it, it's fine and easy. For some reason, Noah loves getting his snot removed by this contraption. He laughs like a loon! I suggest the saline drops only if your little babe has hard, more dry boogers. We've only got moist snots up in here.




9. Svan Highchair:

I do not own this, but I want one so badly after seeing my friend's chairs! (Plural chairs because she has twins) It is gorgeous, and not plastic, and humongous, and cumbersome, like so many highchairs are these days. I do love our Inglesina chair because it takes up zero floor space, and we can bring it around with us everywhere, but I still lust for the Svan. Your kid can keep using it until they are well into toddlerhood too. For us though, it is just one more thing in our house that we have to prevent the rabbits from gnawing on. Booooo.

10. Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail:

We didn't get a diaper pail until Noah was 5 months old, because his diapers were so little that we could put them in little baggies and chuck them in the dumpster right away. 5 months was also when he started on solids, and the poop got stinky. Enough said. Make sure you put a bunch of refills on your registry as well! A trick that I learned, to save money, was to put the pee soiled diapers in the regular garbage since they don't smell, and only the poopy diapers go in the pail.

11. Breast Pump:

I really, really, really wish that I had a great recommendation for a breast pump. It's just that it's such a personal thing, it is really up to you and what you feel your needs are. There are options to rent from the hospital, single pumps, double pumps, electric and manual. I personally used the Medela Swing, and it was fine. I mainly used it when I had a plugged milk duct and was desperate to express milk. I can't get into it, it was much too traumatizing and deserves it's own post.

I hope this was somewhat helpful, I wish I had a list like this when I was making my registry! Instead, I just harassed my mom friends for information and researched a bit on my own. Most store registries have a guide as to what to buy anyway, but it's nice to see specific items. xoxo

Panic Setting In

Recovering from a c-section is hard, what with the pain, and the limits on your mobility and capability for a while. It also makes wanting to get back into shape after pregnancy a lot harder. I remember after my six week postpartum checkup, my obstetrician cleared me for all activities, including ab workouts, yoga, and pilates. (WTF) I was flabbergasted, because I could barely cart around my son's car seat, let alone attempt a serious workout. I honestly felt like if I tried one sit-up, my guts would spill out.

Then of course, everyone tells you about how breast feeding just melts the pregnancy pounds off, which in my case was totally untrue. There was no melting away of anything. I gained 40lbs when I was pregnant, 20 of which was baby, placenta, and water weight. That left me with 20lbs more than I was used to. I wasn't that motivated to do much about it though, but four months in, I was only about 8 or 10 pounds off my starting weight.

When Noah was six and a half months old, I decided to really try to get back into exercising because I missed it. Training, as I call it, was always something that I was naturally good at. So, out came the running shoes and my tighter-than-they-used-to-be workout clothes.

Stupid me, I decided to start with jogging, of all things. On the pavement. Apparently I am an idiot. But I was SO proud of myself when I did jog for those brief, two weeks! I started to do yoga and a 30 day full body challenge too, but I had to stop everything completely when my knees hurt like I had been beat up by a mafia goon.

Everyone has been so kind and encouraging to me, so it's really just my own insecurity. I blame the fact that I was an actress, that industry really messes with your head. I have been told repeatedly that it takes nine months to gain the weight, and naturally, nine months to lose it all. This is where my panic set in. Noah is 8 months old now, does that mean I have a month to magically look like I used to?! Egads, I am done for.

The Plan:

I love a challenge, and since I have procrastinated, it's time to really step it up! I vow to be fit and happy with my body by Noah's first birthday, and certainly before baby #2 comes into existence. My old plan of whining and complaining hasn't really melted my fat away, unfortunately!

• Yoga: I bought class passes for not one but two hot/warm yoga studios in my neighbourhood.
• Jogging on a track: much easier on the knees
• Incorporating Noah into my strength routine: my babe is crazy heavy and makes a great weight
• Cutting out dessert and most of the sugar in my lattes (Okay, Alexander?!)
• Joining a gym if jogging outside in the fall/winter doesn't motivate me

Basically, I am writing a blog post in order to keep myself accountable for this decision. So, feel free to pester or encourage as you will!

But OF COURSE, as soon as I decide to eat better and exercise, the universe conspires against me:

Not once have I refrained from using a McDonald's coupon. In my life.

Night Terrors? Are You Kidding Me?!

I am not 100% certain, because I don't have a medical degree, but I think Noah may be having night terrors. He has woken us up with his screams, and when we've gone in to comfort him, he doesn't seem to be awake. Yet when we try to get him to calm down, it's the biggest battle! He writhes and screams like he's in pain, and I swear I almost drove to the emergency room because I was terrified that he was dying. I don't know what the neighbours must think. Hopefully no one calls the cops on us, or I will be mortified!

I've read that for babies under a year, the only thing you can really do to prevent night terrors is make sure they nap a lot and don't get over tired. I have never been more thankful for my Ergobaby carrier in my life. It's the only thing that can get him to sleep if he's only about 75% tired. I tried putting him down for 3 naps today instead of 2, so we'll see how it goes tonight. It's been two nights in a row of this scary sleep-screaming. Actually last night he fully woke up, but was the hardest baby to put back to sleep. Torture all around. We are some tired Wilsons.

It's just so weird, because during the day, he's such a happy little baby man, but at 3am he is a crazed, feral beast. It is SO frustrating! Do we just learn how to function on virtually no sleep? Poor Brendan is working like a dog at the office, running on a few hours sleep a night, and I almost left my wallet at the bakery the other day because I live on the moon now. Weren't the first few months supposed to be the hard part?

I feel like we're going backwards when it comes to sleep progress, even though we are taking huge steps with his milestones. He is now walking around while holding onto the couch and coffee table, and starting to stand on his own (!!!). I am so happy and proud and thankful, but at this point, I fantasize about ordering sleep like you would a pizza. Somebody please invent that. PLEASE. I would give you all the monies.

Please give mommy and daddy one hour of sleep for each of the months you have lived on earth.

Leather Anniversary

Today is mine and Brendan's three year wedding anniversary, which is traditionally the leather one. This lends itself to all sorts of awesome dirty jokes, I know. Kidding aside, I feel like these past three years were altogether perfect, difficult, jam packed, and crazy emotional. I couldn't have lived through it without him.

Our wedding was the single most fun wedding I have ever been to. (I realize everyone thinks this of their own wedding!) It was everything that we wanted: urban, dramatic, delicious and a seriously awesome party with a live band, to boot. (Thanks Vince Bertucci!)

Brendan had moved out to Seattle the year before we got married, so we were separated for nine months. It went by quickly because there was a whole wedding to plan, and my whole life to move. Looking back on it, the experience feels like a lifetime ago. I miss Toronto so much: the food, the energy and bustle, but most of all, the people. You know who you are!

Here are some of my favourite shots from our wedding, on September 18, 2010:

I felt like a movie star that day!

The best wedding party EVAR

This is up on our wall

Me and my cute daddy, Noah's namesake.

Go With the Ergo

When Noah was 6 months old we purchased an Ergobaby carrier. We already owned a Baby Bjorn, as well as a Moby Wrap, but he had pretty much outgrown the Bjorn, and the Moby was way too hot to use in the summer. Both of these two carriers served us well for the first few months, but we really needed something that was comfortable for both Brendan and I to carry the ever growing Noah in.

If you are a new mom or mom-to-be, I highly recommend getting an Ergobaby if you get any carrier at all. The Ergobaby is comfortable, beautiful, and so practical. I'm kinda kicking myself for not getting it sooner! The prices range from $115 to $195 if you buy directly from the Ergobaby website. However, I know that if you go to your local baby consignment shops or even Craigslist, you might be able to find one for a steal like my friend, Robyn did.

Since I wanted a very specific one, I opted to buy it directly from Ergobaby at full price ($120). This way, I was absolutely sure of it's authenticity (as opposed to getting it on Amazon from questionable sellers), and I could choose the colour and style I wanted. I fell in love with the Galaxy Grey original style, because I love stars and grey is the perfect neutral. Shipping was insanely fast too, I was pretty impressed, and I am one impatient girl.

With the hood on

Why the Ergobaby is Awesome:

• It has cushy straps that don't dig into your shoulders, which is a must, especially if your baby is on the heavier side.
• Wide hip strap. The wide belt that sits across your hips evenly distributes the weight between your hips and your shoulders, -never your back.
• Doesn't feel too crazypants hot outside in the summer sun.
• The carrier holds your baby in the perfect, ergonomic position. Ideal for avoiding any concerns about hip dysplasia.
• It allows you to carry your baby three ways: front carry, back carry, and hip carry.
• The Ergobaby has a hood to protect baby from sun, rain, or over stimulation from crowds.
• Has a handy zippered pocket
• Can hold a baby that is up to 45lbs. (although I'm not sure you'd want to, necessarily)

Handy pocket for the hood

Huge, sturdy and secure clasp

This thing has actually saved my sanity on many a night when Noah refuses to sleep! Rather than just holding him in my arms, and he is heavy let me tell you, wearing him lets me hold him close and it feels completely secure. Plus, what's better than snuggling your babe? Nothing at all on earth.

Eight Months Old!

Happy 8 months of life to my little babe, Noah Anthony! There isn't a day that goes by that I am not thankful for being blessed with the most good-natured, expressive, adventurous little soul that you are. Mommy loves you so much! Even though sometimes I scream like the dickens, because you grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled with all your might when I didn't expect it.

On another note, I want to thank everyone for entering my Aden+Anais Giveaway! Only 9 more days until the winners are announced!

Pootastrophe

There is no doubt in my mind that parenthood is the single most disgusting thing humans can ever experience with someone that you love unconditionally. It's just gross, but becomes second nature. It's really incredible!

At the end of our daily afternoon walk, this mommy decided to treat herself to a tasty little Friday snack from Bakery Nouveau. (Yay!) When we got home, everything was normal. I put my beautiful chocolate croissant on the table next to my laptop, and poured myself some water while Noah chilled out in his stroller, staring at me.

Except my baby started to scream and thrash around like he was on fire. I unbuckled him from his stroller and gave him a nice, big snuggle and kiss, put him down, and all seemed well. He crawled around the living room, happily playing with his "piano" and blocks.

Meanwhile, I sat down at the table and took a swig of water from my water bottle. I smelled poop. I looked around me, but there was nothing poopy in sight. No diapers, no stray dirty wipes. Weird. Then I took a bite out of my croissant. More poopy smell. Okay, was it was my breath? No, thank goodness. The croissant? Nope. But I still smelled a definite poop smell. That's when I looked over at Noah across the room. He had just turned around, and the back of his white shirt was smeared with creamy, spinach-y poo. OMG.

In one fell swoop, I managed to lay down a blanket, grab some wipes, and plop Noah down so I could undress him and wipe him down. SO MUCH POO. The bathtub was our next stop, and once he was clean, I thought the poo smell would go away. Only why did it still smell like poo?!?! I frantically looked in the bathroom mirror, and there was my answer. I had a thick schmear of already dried poop, down the underside of my arm, on my shirt, and caked into my watch. I was the poopy smell!!!

Once everyone and everything was finally clean, and the baby had fallen asleep on his own in the jumper, I was able to sit down, relax, and eat my chocolate croissant. Oh yes, you can bet that I still savoured all of its chocolately, buttery goodness, even after the pootastrophe. Mmm, motherhood.

Baby dragon crawling away

Unhappy, but clean baby dragon

His eyes are partially open but he is 100% asleep! (I didn't leave him there)

How I Met Your Father

Today is the 7th anniversary of my first date with my husband. It also happens to be the 4 year anniversary of when we got engaged! Quite deliberate on Brendan's part, I think. I'm not sure that Noah will care about how his parents met. I feel like a girl would care more, but regardless, the poor kid is going to hear the story ad nauseam, because that is how mommy rolls. As for meeting my husband, I kind of have Jimmy Fallon to thank...

At the beginning of 2006, I moved to Toronto from Montreal to pursue my acting career. This was a huge step for me because I had no money, no job, and was basically flying by the seat of my pants like an idiot without a plan. I had an inexplicable pull to the city and I had no idea why. The first few months really weren't that great. The acting union went on strike just when I moved, and I was working as a waitress at a brunch restaurant where people were allergic to tipping, the manager hated me, and the owner sexually harassed me. The icing on the cake was that they fired me, on my birthday, no less.

Luckily, I ended up working the day shift as a barista at a coffee shop in the Entertainment District. It was a fun job, and I met so many awesome people when I worked there. One very awesome person in particular. A person who made 10am my favourite time of day.

Every morning at around 10 o'clock, a group of cute guys would come in to get their coffee. They were always very polite and friendly, and looked like fresh out of school, young professionals. Well, I noticed one in particular who looked (to me) a lot like Jimmy Fallon. So I told him this. For the record, I WAS NOT FLIRTING, I was merely stating a fact. Regardless, the boy turned out to be very sweet, and we started talking a little bit every morning. What really struck me about this boy was that he actually listened to me when I spoke to him, and he sounded like a truly interesting fellow. Ok now this is when I started flirting. I flirted shamelessly for two weeks straight, trying to get this guy to ask me out. I am pretty certain that he did not know my name at this point, because he referred to me as "SNL fan".

However, on Wednesday, September 13th, the boy who introduced himself to me as Brendan, didn't come in at 10am. I was so sad! He came in later, alone (aha!), and asked me if I wanted to go out for drinks. We ended up meeting later that evening for dinner and proceeded to have a first date that was like something straight out of a perfect, romantic comedy. That was the beginning of our family and we didn't even know it.

Now because I never got to formally thank the man, I plan on tagging him on Twitter and hope that he sees this.

Thanks Jimmy Fallon! Because of you, I have these guys: