Trying something new

As a new parent I think something we all dread is having to go back to work after being off with our little one. Even though I still have five months left on maternity I feel the clock ticking and dread leaving Knox and venturing off to work. If only I didn't have too.

I had been trying to rack my brain about ways I could earn extra money and only have to work part time or even eventually not at all. I was at a jewelry party the other weekend and had so much fun, loved the jewelry and the great promotions. I had a light bulb moment lol. I know of several people who sell varied products in the similar manner, parties or direct sales and they have had success, so why couldn't I?

I did my research and decided to sign up with Lia Sophia an amazing Family run company out of the states that has been in Canada for four years now. I liked how cheap it was to get started, what they provided in the start up kit and the benefits to selling there jewelry. Plus it doesn't hurt that I love the jewelry lol. Compared to a lot of other companies I looked into, I liked that every month they have a promotion for the customer, host and advisors. Great incentives to buy, host and sell! Ive only been signed up since May 1st and already have received my first incentive gift

delivered to my door today! YAY!

Could my venture flop? ABSOLUTELY! But it is also just as likely to succeed. If I never tried it I would always be thinking what if or imagine what I could be doing now with more time at home. So I invested a little bit of money and received gorgeous jewelry (if it doesn't work out pretty jewelry for me lol) and hopefully I have found my way to have more time with my miracle baby Knox.

I think in life it is so easy to dream, wish or hope and so much harder to actually go out on that limb to reach for what we want. Sometimes taking a small risk for a great reward is just what we need to motivate ourselves. I plan on having fun, earning some extra money and spending more time with my hubby and son. Doesn't that sound great?

What is something you have been putting off or dreaming of? What steps do you need to take to make that happen? What are you waiting for?

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Puddle Jumper Ring

Opaline Earrings

Applique Cuff

These are a few of my favorite things

We are all great at appreciating and celebrating all the things in our lives on special days, like New Years, Birthdays or Christmas. But what about the little things we look forward too or make our hearts warm on a regular basis? Things that you wouldn't normally take time to appreciate.

This morning as I held my son and fed him his bottle he looked up at me ran his fingers through my hair and smiled with his eyes, saying "I love you momma"! My heart melted thinking this was such a special moment and then I realized that yes this was special but happened regularly. Are we too busy every day to realize that we have such sweet moments all the time?

So I took some time and thought about my every day, what do I do, what makes me happy? Here is a few of my favorite daily occurrences.

Checking something off of my list- Seems trivial but the feeling of accomplishment is great and I love when I can finally check something off my list that has been nagging me for some time.

Daddy's home- I say those words and my house explodes with happiness. Bailey starts running around picking up shoes, I bring Knox to the window to see Ryan getting out of the car and he starts bouncing and I love when my honey is finally home for the day!

A sip of happy- That first sip of coffee in the morning, I don't know what it is. Maybe a bit of ritual, something familiar, but I love it!

Me and My love bug 

Say Cheese- We have this daily ritual of sending out a picture of Knox to the grandparents every day. May sound like a lot, but its great! They get to see him every day and I have a picture of him everyday from birth, how awesome is that.

Discovery- Watching Knox discover the world every day is amazing! It may be something little or a huge milestone. But getting to see the world through his eyes is breath taking!

Hi- My daily chats with family and friends. Something as little as a comment on Facebook to a lengthy in person conversation. I love the feeling that we are always connected.

YA YA YA- This one may not happen every day, but I am fortunate enough that it happens regularly. My niece and god baby Harper who is almost One, is this incredible source of light. She always brings a smile to my face. My favorite is when I visit and she sees me, she lets out this squeal of glee, starts chanting "YA YA YA" and (depending on if shes in her high chair or free to run) starts banging her hands and dancing or bolts right for me. This leaves me with an incredible feeling and I know I am loved by her.

This list could go on forever and I'm probably missing a few biggies, but I just wanted to share my list and maybe get you thinking about your own. What is great in your day to day life? I'd love if you'd share!

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Getting ready to get back on the horse

While being pregnant and breastfeeding my main concern was that I was taking in all the right things, avoiding all the wrong and making sure Knox was getting 100% of what he needed. Well now that I've weaned Knox it is weird not having to worry about caffeine, sugar, calcium etc... Now i'm a free lady lol and am enjoying regular coffee, the occasional alcoholic beverage and not having to worry about when Knox's next feeding will be.

Although I have been thoroughly enjoying having free rang over what i ingest I am very much aware of the warm weather and my "I just had a baby" body. Now i'm not a self conscious person, as a rule, but I would like to look a little less stretched out by the time my bikini comes out of hiding. So what to do?

In the past I have tried many diets and exercise regimes and the one that worked best for me was when i was taking the Body By Vi shakes. I was determined to loose weight before starting my round of IVF and a friend told me about the meal replacement shakes and gave me a sample. I loved it. I had tried other shakes before and always felt hungry or chugged them down because I didn't enjoy the taste. Once I got used to having the shakes for breakfast and lunch (instead of a over sized meal) I liked them and was content. Plus I was dropping the pounds. Running and those shakes seem to be my key to weight loss victory.

The plan? Well I've been putting off replacing the batteries in the scale, but that will be step 1! Step 2 will be getting myself organized and then step 3 to get back on the horse. I'm giving myself this week to enjoy being free to eat what id like and then come Monday YEEHA, back on the horse with me.

Id love to share my experience as I go and hopefully I will have as great of success as I did the first time I tried the Body By Vi shakes.

Gonna get my runners, shaker and can do attitude prepped and ready to go! You with me? Ok lets do this!

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

PS. If you have any questions about the shakes please feel free to let me know and I can answer any questions or put you in contact with who I get mine from.

Parent knows best!

One thing that I noticed as a first time parent is that everyone wants to offer up advice, solicited or otherwise.  I am sure that all this advice is well intended, sometimes it can be overwhelming and contradictory to what your planning for your little one. On top of information given from other parents there is tons of information you can access through books, apps and online articles. So how do you filter through everything and get down to whats right for you and baby?

I love to read, so I have read countless articles etc... on everything labor, parenting and baby related that I can get my hands on. There is a lot of information and a lot of it is contradictory and opinion based. It took me a bit to figure it out but once I did its been way easier. My super secret is... Do whats right for you and baby! It sounds simple, but can get complicated.

Sleeping like a baby

Just like anything else I want to make a decision on I research, ask for opinions and collect as much data as I can. As a first time parent it can be overwhelming, no one wants to make a mistake. Once I realized that its hopeless...lol That everyone makes mistakes then I relaxed a bit and got down to figuring out what works best for us. Just like grownups, babies have there own personalities, likes, dislikes and schedules. I struggled with sleep for months until after lots of reading decided to try Knox on his belly, as he would only sleep an hour or two on his back. Once flipped he slept 3, then 4, then 7 and now 8-10 hours a night. Miracle??? Or just the simple fact that mommy is a belly sleeper and so is baby? Now I know that the current sleeping position for babies is back, but I know that changes regularly and made a choice based on Knox. He could lift his head from birth and by the time I decided to put him on his belly could lift and turn his head, roll over and scoot, this and the fact that I have a angel care baby monitor made me feel safe and secure with my choice to put Knox on his belly. My now functioning brain thanks me lol.

There are tons of decisions to be made and even more opinions ready to be shared. Do you circumcise, make your own food, breast feed, cloth diaper, how often to do tummy time, how much stimulation, when to introduce bed time routines etc etc etc... The list is endless!  Best advice I got was to have a plan and be absolutely prepared to toss it and start fresh. I am glad I got and took this advice as I needed it during labor and with some of my decisions so far as a parent.

My Happy Boy Loving his food

I had every intention to breast feed Knox until at least six months and then introduce foods and wean. However my super baby has a super appetite and I was breast feeding him every 1.5-2 hours and he never really seemed satisfied. This can become exhausting when all you seem to do is breast feed. So at just a week over 4 months we introduced Knox to solids. Again we made this choice after much reading and knowing that Knox was absolutely ready to eat (being able to hold himself up and showing all signs he was ready). Once he was introduced to food the way he breast fed became different, almost aggressive. So after months of non stop feeding and an aggressive eater I decided to start weaning him earlier then intended. At first I felt guilty and selfish that I was weaning him before 6 months, but then I saw how great Knox was doing on the bottle and how much more time Ryan was getting with him. I feel much better about my decision and Knox loves his food and is already trying to hold his own bottle and drinking out of a sippy cup.

As new parents it can be easy to get pressured into doing what your told is best for baby, but shouldn't you be who knows your baby best? If every baby was exactly the same then it would make sense to treat them exactly the same, but they are not so shouldn't we care for them as individuals and make choices as we go? This is how i've approached parenting and I have a happy, healthy baby, so i must be doing something right.


Follow your instincts and do whats right for you and baby, if that choice doesn't seem to work make another. Learn and grow with your baby and you both will be much more relaxed and happy at the end of the day.

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

How do you balance all your roles?

With how busy a world we live in its unrealistic to think that we would only have one role, one purpose in our lives. So as we get older and the roles start adding up, how do you keep balanced?

Recently I have adopted some very important roles aunt, god mother and mommy to my beautiful baby boy. I take these new roles very seriously and love the person they are making me. But what about my old roles, what about who I was before I adopted these new roles? She is still there just hidden under breastfeeding, up all nights, playtime and lots of baby kisses.

At first finding a balance wasn't a big concern of mine, my main concern was figuring out how to be a mom. Knox (my baby boy) is a big eater and not so much a big sleeper, so for the first couple of months it seemed like all I did was nurse, cuddle and try and get a wink of sleep when I could (which is why there was no writing happening lol). Now Knox is four months old and its getting easier to manage and rediscover all my other roles.

My sweet boy Knox

With such an important role as mommy it can be easy to forget that i'm also a daughter, sister, wife, friend, confident, writer, lover, cousin, niece and very important to remember i'm my very own person. So how do I do it, how can I manage? Well thankfully I have an amazing support system and people who love me who have no problem asking for attention or reminding me that I need some me time too. Knox is just so darn cute its hard to step away from the mommy role.

Its important to remember who you are to everyone else in the world, but its also important to remember who you are to yourself. I can see how easy it is to get lost in a new role, how it can completely consume you. So if your in that spot, feeling consumed, step back and analyze the situation. Acknowledge your feelings, its totally normal to feel overwhelmed in a new role. Start small, take little you moments in the day, call your spouse just to say hi or I love you,drop by your friends for a coffee, take up one of those offers for a babysitter, try to get a glimpse of all the things you loved to do before the big change. When we adopt a new role, no matter what it is, we will never be the exactly same person as we were before, we've changed, grown and evolved into anew breed of you. But remember in evolution the thing that evolves doesn't get replaced or changed completely, it slowly adds to itself or removes something to make itself a better being. So add, change or remove but don't forget that you are multi dimensional and more than just one thing.

All your roles make you,  so give and take, ask for help, love all of you and embrace the ever changing creature that is you!

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Sleep??? Yes Please!

All new parents have experienced sleep deprivation and varying levels, depending on the little ones eating/sleeping patterns. What gets interesting is the things we do when we are deprived of sleep for weeks and things start to show up where they are not supposed to be. What do you mean diaper cream doesn't go in the fridge?

I asked friends of mine what they have done when up late at night with feeding's and diaper changes. Most of the answers where very similar, misplaced items. Milk in the cupboard and cereal in the fridge, diaper cream in the fridge, making something to eat and forgetting about it and going back to bed or forgetting to put a diaper back on the baby (that would be a mess).

Personally I haven't misplaced anything in my fridge, yet, but I did misplace a item. My husband went downstairs to switch out Knox's laundry to the dryer and came back up washer going again and a diaper in his hand. Ryan walked up to me with a neatly bundled up used diaper, I'm thankful I close them up tight, and a big smirk on his face. In the middle of the night I managed to throw the diaper in the wash, instead of in the diaper genie. I have now learnt to open the lid of the diaper genie before commencing a middle of the night change, as to remind myself which basket I need to throw the dirty diaper in. I am still being teased for this.

You start to learn tricks to make things go quicker or easier for you. I have a jug of water and a glass on my kitchen island, so that I can grab a drink on the way by to do a diaper change. Snacks are also readily available on the island, breastfeeding can leave you hungry and thirsty in the middle of the night. Everything I need for middle of the night changes, including new outfit, is out on the change table ready for me.

I've gotten really good at games on my iPhone and have almost mastered most things with one hand; its amazing the things you can get done while breastfeeding.

I am hoping to in the near future be less sleep deprived and aim for bigger than 2 hour sleep chunks. But until my little guy decides he likes sleep better then food, and he loves to eat, I will continue to fumble my way around at all hours of the night getting bye on little sleep. I cant say that I really mind our 3 am mommy, Knox snuggles.

If you've been down this road before share with us your mishaps in the wee hours of the night. What has ended up in fridge or washer?

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Our Miracle

What do you do when a dream becomes reality? When something you thought for so long wouldn’t, couldn’t happen and then it does? In my scenario I cried, I cried the moment they placed my baby boy on my chest and I heard him for the very first time.

Our dream for the longest time was to have a baby and after over 5 years of trying and being told IVF was our only option we were crushed. Knowing that we would probably never be able to afford the only way we could have a baby together was heart wrenching and drug me through a very sad time. Luckily The New HOT 89.9, an Ottawa radio station, decided to hold a contest called Win a Baby. I entered despite my hubby saying we would probably never be chosen, I had a feeling and was going for it. Then we found out we made top 5 and we were ecstatic but being so close to winning the IVF treatments was beyond nerve racking.  Finally after what felt like the longest week EVER, HOT 89.9 brought in all 5 couples on October 11 2011 and made an announcement that changed all of our lives… We all WON!

I think because not a lot of people know about fertility treatments and movies make IVF look like a 1 day process everyone thought the baby would be instantaneous. But it is a process, and can be a long one at that. We met with our DR at the Ottawa Fertility Centre (OFC) in November and it was decided that I should lose some weight to increase my chances of success. Let me tell you, the best exercise and diet motivation for me ever.  I lost 20lbs and started my round of IVF in January and finished in February. We were lucky enough to meet and stay in contact with the other couples from the contest and went through it all together, an amazing support. Finally in came to the day where we took our pregnancy test at the clinic, I was beyond nervous, but my family and friends had all decided already that it had worked and I was pregnant. Well they were right, I received a very excited phone call from one of the nurses at the OFC and from that moment on our dream started coming true.

Nausea, exhaustion, hip and back problems, nerve issues, months of non-stop Braxton Hicks and sleepless nights couldn’t bring me down, I was having a baby! Every pain or discomfort just made the pregnancy so real for me and every ultrasound brought tears to my eyes. Our little guy was a mover from the get go and I got to feel his flutters fairly early, flutters didn’t last long and pretty soon my belly was dancing all over the place.

To say that we loved our little man before we even knew he existed would be an understatement, but nothing could prepare us for what we would feel as he and my belly grew or for the day we met him.  We were hoping that after so many Braxton Hicks that I would have a quick labor…lol NOPE. My real Contractions started at 5am Thursday morning and he was born Sunday at 11:51am. The nurses all laughed at what a good mood I was in and all made comments about the fact I was smiling in between contractions; even when the 4 different types of drugs we tried wore off and would no longer work. My answer was simple “I’m happy because I know this means I finally get to meet him”. To me every contraction was a step closer to my boy and I was so ready to meet him.

Just a few hours after Knox was born.

The moment finally came where my sweet Knox was born and they placed him on my chest. I was flooded with emotions as he let out his cry and the nurses dried him off. Then we got to do skin to skin and he reached his little hand towards my face and raised his head and opened his eyes… I was done. I couldn’t hold back everything I was feeling and our sweet little man brought momma to tears. No one can prepare you for what you will feel the day you meet your baby.  He’s a week and a half old now and he still brings momma to tears.

It’s amazing to think how many people took part in helping us through our journey. Our amazing family and friends who no matter what were always there for us through the good and bad. The new HOT 89.9 who created such an amazing contest and decided that they couldn’t just choose one couple, thanks to that decision there are now four babies in this world that would otherwise not be.  The Ottawa fertility centre who took such great care of us and helped create our miracle.  And all the absolute strangers and followers who through the contest or this blog came to know our story and supported us through every turn.  We will never be able to thank everyone enough, how do you say thank you for giving us the greatest gift of all?

Knox Ian Napoleon Derouchie

So now Ryan and I are exploring a new chapter of our Fairy Tale, Parenthood. This should be interesting! Can’t wait to share it all with you!

Lotsa Love,

Natasha