For your child's sake

Ok, so I wasn't sure if I was going to right this post or not! But this week Hudson has started to climb everywhere... I found her standing on top of the table, just yesterday!!! For this reason, I thought it would be time for me to say:

PLEASE if you have young children at home, bolt all your furniture to the wall!!!

Seriously, I am not one for meddling with other people's life! You can raise your kids, however you want! You can breastfed them, give them formula, use disposable diapers or cloth! But please, make sure all the furniture in your house is secure and cannot tip over! You can ask my mom, I have been a pain about this! Sure I let my kid run loose, she's not always dress warm enough (according to people, according to me she is just fine), I let her fed herself... but in our house every piece of furniture is bolted! Also please beware of TV sitting on top of table or dresser!

Why am I saying this!!! Well because every year, kids get injured... or even die under a toppled dresser! 

Years ago. I was 14 years old. It was a morning of March. I was babysitting 3 kids aged 2-4-6. I use to babysit these kids 2-3 times a week. I knew them well! They were all very intelligent, spunky, fun-loving, agile and mature kids... 

It was morning, I was preparing the snacks... the oldest one was helping me. The two girls had gone to get dressed on the upper floor! That is when I heard the loudest BANG! you can imagine. I knew it was bad! I dropped everything I was doing! I ran to the second floor and found a big 5 drawers dresser laying flat on the ground. The TV that was sitting on top of it had rolled across the room. Underneath it, layed the 2 years old little girl. Her head was sticking out on one side and she was conscious. I tried to lift the dresser but it was too heavy. I screamed to the 4 years old to call her dad at work! I managed to lift the dresser just high enough so that the 6 years old could wedge something underneath it and pull his sister out! We left her on the ground. I was afraid of moving her too much. She was breathing and in and out of consciousness. She was bruised! Her dad showed up (he worked across the street). He took his daughter down and jumped on the snowmobile... he rushed her to the villages clinic (no hospital and doctor, we lived on a reserve in James Bay). They did some test... she was fine... only a concussion. To this day, I still cannot believe she was fine! Nothing broken! Just bruised. A pure miracle. I still babysat these kids 2-3 times a week. They are now all grown up and in college. But this happy ending is not the case for every family. If this story did not convince you, please read this post.

16 months and on we go...

Hudson is 16 months! Ouf... we had it rough this month... the family was hit with the flu, then as we are just starting to feel better. BANG! We get hit with a gastroenteritis... no fun! No fun at all!

Last weekend for family day, we were off to Ottawa. The trip did not go as planned! As soon as we got to Ottawa, I went snowsuit shopping for Hudson (for next year). I found some amazing clearance deal! Full snowsuit (including hat and mitts) for 22$. I picked up 2... then made my way to the register only to find out our credit card was declined! So Tristan called and turns out they had flagged it because someone was trying to make a big purchase online, from another country, with OUR card!!! So we canceled it right away... but oh-oh... no credit card for the reminder of the trip... ok... that was not too much of a problem...

On day two, we headed out to "Winterlude", Ottawa's winter carnival.... our first stop was the children's spot, so Hudson could slide... well... most of the slides had melted, so only the big kids slide were open... so we left...

We went to skate on the Rideau Canal, instead... same story... the canal was a big puddle of slush... we did skate for about 1 km but that was it... Not quite the day we expected...

On our third day, we decided to go try an Okonomiyaki restaurant... we all ate well and on our way out... that is when started the Gastroenterities from HELL! Hudson started throwing up! She threw up in the parking lot, she threw up at T&T, she threw up all over my car... we were suppose to go shopping and visit the science and technologies museum... instead we went home and started the long process of cleaning and washing everything!

You can only imagine the stench, on the next day, as we drove back home, for 6 hours... in a car smelling like throw up....

ahhhh....


This weekend, everyone is feeling much better! I just finished my reading week and Hudson is as happy as her usual happy-self!

Hudson is 16 months today... She is a 4 tooth and a half... bad sleeper... messy eater... hug and kisses giver... cat obsess... sweet little girl!

Recipe Tofu-Brocoli-Quiche

Last night I while trying to figure out dinner, I came across this vegan recipe! Tofu Quiche with Spinach and Broccoli. Now if you wonder why I would be looking at a vegan recipe website... well because I love vagan recipes. I am by no mean vegan, but I like having option on how to prepare my meal. And I find that often vegan cooking proposes very healthy alternative! I usually go from there and than modify the recipe to my liking and that is exactly what I did! The results was GREAT (and I suspect that even if you stick to the original recipe, it will be GREAT)... here are the ingredients I used. 

Otherwise I followed the exact same preparation instructions.

1 deep-dish store both pie crust (or make your own!)
1 cup of brocoli.
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
2 cup of fresh chopped baby spinach
1 cup of finely chopped mushroom.
1 tbs of nutmeg,
1 tbs of basil,
1 tbs of ground pepper,
1 tsp of paprika
300 gr of medium tofu,
1/2 cup of milk,
1/2 cup of Chia seed (or grounded flax seeds
2 eggs
1 cup of shredded cheese (your choice, I used old cheddar)
2 tsp corn starch




First I boiled about 1 cup of brocoli.
Then I sautéd 1 large onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 cup of fresh chopped baby spinach (not boiled) and 1 cup of finely chopped mushroom. I added the brocoli and 1 tbs of nutmeg, 1 tbs of basil, 1 tbs of ground pepper, 1 tsp of paprika. (I did not add salt but you could).

In a blender, I put 300 gr of medium tofu, 1/2 cup of milk, 2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 cup of Chia seed (or grounded flax seeds) and 2 eggs.

In a bowl, I mixed the vegetable to the tofu mixture. I added 1 cup of shredded old cheddar-cheese.

I used one 9 inches store bought deep-dish pie shell which I precooked at 350 degree for 12 minutes.

I firmly pressed the mixture in the pie crust and left it in the over for 45 min at 375. (Or until fully cooked in the middle.

And voilà!

This recipe used a whole lot of ingredient but most of them could be changed depending on your taste! We are planning on trying it with zucchini, red pepper, feta cheese and olives!

Hudson is 15 months!

Hudson is 15 months and officially, she still fits in an infant bucket! She now weights just under 22lbs at 21.8 lbs and is a very impressive 27 inches tall. So basically, she continues to hover at the very bottom of the height chart. With every passing day, it is becoming obvious that her body type will make her more of a short track speed skater than a swimmer. (Yeah... I am still thinking Olympian here... I can dream, right?)

With that being said, the last month has been one of many adjustment. 2 more teeth came out (for a grand total of 4), we battled jet lag and mommy went back to school, and we settled on a new (yet again) bedtime strategy! This one!

Except, I took his first advice (which was also the same advice given by our pediatrician).... If Hudson can't sleep through the night now... it's probably because she can not... and not because I failed as a parent to give her a proper sleep routine or sleep training..

"I don’t recommend any forced sleep changes during the first year of life. Probably the only exception to this would be an emergency involving a nursing mom’s health. There are many suggestions in books and magazines for pushing “sleeping through the night” during a baby’s early months or during the first year. I don’t think this is the best thing to do and I am quite sure that the earlier a baby gets “non-response” from parents, the more likely he is to close down at least a little."

So Hudson still pretty much breastfeeds through the night... Still doesn't sleep well and wakes up multiple time through out the night... and that will probably be the case for a while longer... but at least I now get 1 very decent nap a day from her!!!

So Hudson's favorite activities are (In that order) : 

• Breastfeeding (yes, I am starting to believe it is a hobby of hers!)
• Giving treats to the cat!
• Being tickle by daddy!
• Swimming!
• Cleaning (especially the floor)
• And listening to Pingu Pingu

The house is so calme right now... we could hear a mosquito fart

Ouf! What a week! It was back to school for Tristan and me! I had really meant to write a year in review post but time just keep slipping away! I will however try really hard to finish posting about the trip on Japan and the trip to Vancouver/Seattle. I also wanted to write an up-date about Hudson's sleeping "problems" but that will also have to wait. Beside there is very little to say... she is still a horrible sleeper. We have been nursing through the night for the last 5 days. I am sleep deprived (is that new) and dealing with an over tired grumpy little lady! Breastfeeding has become this double edge sword. It is so convenient, healthy and makes dealing with a sick/teething/grump toddler so much easier. But on the other hand, it makes me the sole provider of comfort, which can be a daunting task when you hit your 5th day in a row without proper sleep! But enough of this said...

What I really meant to write about today was : ME! My PHD student self... and how I fared in my first semester back after having Hudson. So here is it... my self-assessment report card as both a mommy and a grad-student...

I give myself a C+

I really would deserve A for Effort... but the sad truth is that I almost lost my sanity trying to joggle my house life with my school life. In fact, I did such a poor job at it that I even considered quitting. I did so poorly that by mid-October, I was ready to give up. I was so far behind in all my school work that it did not even seem possible to obtain passing grades in any of my courses. How did it come to that? Well, there was many reasons... Hudson, the commute, the wedding, the oversea conference... but in fact... I was the only person to blame. I made poor choices (perhaps I was just naive) and paid the price. I have since then learned from my mistake. And I feel ready, this semester, to do what I wasn't able to d o in the fall! Enjoy my life. Here are some of the things I have learned along the way: 

- Even thought it looked like I was home most of the time, I do need 40 hours a week to get all my work done. At first, I had assumed I could squeeze in my homework at night when Hudson is asleep (I know funny isn't it), if it wasn't for Gavy who stepped in and started babysitting for me, I would not have finished the semester.

-Having a daughter is great, but it will greatly limit your ability to go away for conference, talks or to attend schmoozing event.

-Having a kid at home makes it really hard for you to show up at impromptu time to meet with students or faculty.

-Playing lego with your daughter is a whole lot more appealing than writing a 20 pages essay...

-No matter who much you LOVE the course you are taking, if you haven't slept in a few days, you will not be able to concentrate.

-Keeping a house clean, a daughter happy AND finishing a conference paper while planning a wedding and running back and forth between swimming lessons and doctor's appointment is not recommended.

-Realizing that I much rather spend my days playing lego with my daughter than reading Ricoeur for the 10th time...

-Realizing that I much rather clean my house than be reading Ricoeur for the 11th time.

-Realizing my husband is just not into cleaning... 

-Realizing that my husband still has no idea what is the difference between a night and a day diaper.

-Realizing it is nearly impossible to write a paper while breastfeeding my little wiggly baby...

But amidst all this, I also found out that :

-I love my field of study.

-I have a department willing to support me.

-I have a husband wiling to learn the difference between a night and day diaper.

-I have a house that still doesn't look too bad when messy.

but more importantly...

I am truly grateful that no matter how hard it is... no matter how little sleep I get... no matter how many conference I have to pass on...

I am happy I get to stay home all day with Hudson and study what I love all night!

And that is why I am looking forward to all the challenges this new semester will bring forth!

Because at the end of the day... when I finally get to rest my head on the pillow... I know I was lucky enough to be doing what I always wanted to do!

And if you wonder... one of the grade came out this morning... and I got an A+

And even though I gave myself a C+

Another thing deserves an A+

This:

  

   

The Cauldron

 

If you know me, you know how passionate I am about the Olympic. 

So here it is! 

The 2010 winter Olympic cauldron!

Capilano Suspension Bridge

My idea of a great boxing day? Is to head out as far as possible from a mall!!! So we made our way to Capilano Suspension Bridge! We had a great time!

We must have had a VERY lucky day. We had the pleasure to witness a golden eagle steal a fish from a bald eagle! Chris caught it on his cellphone camera!

Merry Christmas

Hudson is 14 months! 

Merry Christmas from the whole family!

The day before Christmas, we ended up once more in the hospital. Husdon had a high fever and severe diarrhea. In about 2 hours we were in an out with what looked like a stomach bug. By Christmas she was a bit better and stayed up to open her gifts! In all we had a great time ;-)

Where in the world are we now?

Well, here we are in beautiful British Columbia! Actually we've been here for just over a week now! With the holidays, we have been extremely busy! So here is a little up-dates!

First off, we flew with Sunwing airlines on December 22. After a long drive to the airport and a short stay in a ditch on the side of the road... the roads were really icy. And lots of cars just slide off the road. But not us... No sir! Instead, we purposely drove straight into the ditch... Yes, that's right! lol Well the whole story is that we took the side roads because the highway was close for an accident. Tristan needed to pee so we stopped on the side of the street. We gently pulled over on what looked like a snow covered shoulder.... but it was in fact a ditch!

So we finally made it to Brampton, where we had a quick little Christmas with Great-grand-pa and Great-grand-ma. Hudson received a stuff animal (a black cat) and it was a hit! It was not left her arms since then. The poor creature is already so stinky and dirty, but she loves him SOOOOOO much! 

Then we headed up to the airport. We were early and avoided all the line up. Except the airline made a screw up so we ended up having to go through security TWICE! With a tired hungry baby!!! On the worst day of the year to fly! The airline representative give us such a bullshit explanation as to why the mistake, it sent me fuming! I highly doubt we will ever fly with then again! (I would like to take a minute and apologize to Aircanada for saying they were the worst.... they are now second worst to Sunwing!)

The flight was uneventful and Hudson slept the whole way. (Yeah!) And made it to my in-laws in Richmond!

The days that fallowed were very busy getting the last minute shopping done (Including Daiso!!!!) and sightseeing! 

   

The saga goes on!

It's the end of the semester... not easy to be in school, working, taking care of a baby.... AND a husband...

I am exhausted. I am so ready to be done. Two more assignments, lots of marking and one class left... and the semester will be thing of the past...

Now how has Hudson been since I last wrote. Well after having all of those major improvement, we are back to square one... She started teething again last Friday... since, she has barely slept, no naps... up every 25 to 60 minutes. So... yeah... great...

Whatever I do, I just don't seem to be able to catch a break! But then, today I thought : "it must be murphy's law". It's like "if you stop looking for what you lost, and you buy a new one, you are bound to find the one you lost!"...

So if I can't sleep train my baby... I decided to potty train her! So for the last 5 days, we had a 100% success rate with morning... she loves the toilet... but not so much the potty. 

We are not using any reward system... really if she goes great, if she doesn't "oh well"... I don't expect her to go without a diaper either... if things keep going well (and minus the Christmas holiday)... the goal is to have her daytime potty train by 18 months (April)... as for night time potty training... well I am hesitant doing anything there because of her poor sleeping habits.

So that's that!