Tuna is 18 months today!!!

Tuna is 18 months today, but to be honest, I feel it is more of a milestone for me than for her! Today, I have been breastfeeding Hudson for 18 months! Even thought my original plan was to breastfeed her until she is 2 years old (as recommended by the World Health Organization), we had many many rough patches along the way, and for a little while, it really seemed like we were not going to make it.

First Hudson was born, and my milk refused to come in... blame the c-section or perhaps the very rapid (much to rapid) weight loss I had in the first few months following birth. Then there was all the dietary cuts I had to make because of her severe reflux. No spice, no diary, no acidic food... really other than boiled chicken and rice there was not much left for me to eat (and we all know what I think of chicken and rice......). Then when it finally looked like we were doing well, I contracted Dengue Fever. Hudson was nine months and during those 8 days, I completely lost my supply. I was so sick. I was not able to breastfeed for a week... and when I finally came out of the hospital, all milk was gone. Gone... gone... gone... I was heartbroken. I think Hudson was too. But even worst... she was loosing weight very quickly because she had not quite started solid food yet and would continually throw up any brand formula we tried to give her. So I did what I could, and pumped, and ate, and ate oatmeal cookies and after two weeks, it started coming back. It wasn't enough but it was something. By the time Hudson was 10 months, we were back on track! She had a little strike at around 13 , but it only lasted a few days... But then came 14 months with a whole new challenge. I got pregnant! Yeah!!! Except, once more my supply tanked. But to my relief, it did not seem to phase Hudson too much, as she is still going strong! 

At this point, I really don't know if we will make it to 2 years. Baby number two (or tadpole, as we like to call it) is due right before Hudson's second birthday. In order for Hudson to nurse until 2, I would have to tandem nurse... It probably is a decision I will not really make myself. I will probably just go with the flow. There is a strong chance that before we get there Hudson might even stop on her own, and that is fine too. (And I kind of hope she will) but if she doesn't than so be it ;-)

In other news... well yes! I am pregnant. I am 16 weeks today. I am doing much better than last pregnancy (although the morning sickness have been 100% worst)... but that will be the subject of a later post.

Hudson is sleeping better as well. She still wakes up a lot but most the time, she will not require our assistance.

Hudson is still lacking in the teeth department! Last months I said she had 6 teeth and more on the way... well I lied... she only had 5 back then... and now at 18 months, she still only has 5. But the good news is... there are 6 little white bumps on the way and two none white bumps as well... so hopefully soon, she will have 8 more ;-)

Hudson is also speaking a whole lot. In french, in english... and in japanese. She loves fishes, fishing, cats, hello kitty and her sand box.

I also just finished my winter semester in University. I did much better than last semester. Thanks to Ayumi. I now only have 1 classes left to take (this summer), and I will be done my course load!! I am so excited about that. Next step will be passing in front of my comity and setting up a date for my comprehensive exam. If all goes well, I am hoping to write my exams next spring.

This weekend I am presenting at a conference and then I get 2 weeks off before the start of the next semester. I am looking forward to a little time off at home!

Happy Earth Day!!!

Happy Earth Day!!!

I just thought I'd say,

What did you do today ;-)

Green, green, green... nothing but green

Some of you might very well be aware of the many changes that have taken place in our household, well before Tuna arrived... For some times now, we have been working really hard at making environmentally and chemical free friendly choices. I have to say after 2 years, most of the these changes have been great! For our health but also for our budget... So I just thought I would share some ideas, and links about some of the products we use and why we made the change.

I will spare you the first one... the obvious one... the one I ramble about almost nonstop on facebook... CLOTH DIAPER! But seriously, if you want to give it a try... talk to me... I can help you out! Here is also a great opportunity to buy Canadian! I am telling you.. this is something we should be proud off... we make some of the best cloth diapers! Check out AMP from Manitoba, Applecheeks from Québec, Hipkiddo from BC and Motherease from Ontario... And if by any chance you are in the states, you too have great option of locally made cloth diapers!!!

No more scott towel either... RAGS can do the job! I know... it sounds silly... but do you know how much we save!!! And if you want to go fancy, invest in an unpaper towel roll! All over etsy you will find local women making them to match the color of your kitchen!

Have you heard of reusable menstrual products... If you still use moldy tampons, I would seriously look into the many other options! And here too, you will save TONS of money! Check it out here And for those who thinks it is gross.... You know what is gross... mold! Beside... how can it be any more gross than watching The Walking Dead ;-) And while we are here... why not buy Canadian!

Another place we made big changes was with our cleaning products! For our laundry, including my cloth diaper, we use Nellies Laundry detergent. It is a scent free, dangerous chemical free detergent that is CANADIAN made! And the best part... you can order the bucket from Costco for free delivery and it comes down to 11 cents a load... Told you... eco-friendly does not mean expensive!!!

Next up... cleaner product... oh-so-easy-and-baby-safe... put some vinegar in a jar with orange peel... let it sit on a shell for 6 weeks... and voilà... you can add some tea tree oil if you would like... you can use it to clean just almost anything... including your kids toys.For other great cleaning product recipe, visit the Queen of Green's blog!

Let's move on to personal hygiene... do you use coconut oil yet? tea tree oil? well you should! Easy to find and cheap, you can use it a million ways... And why would you do that... well... unless you are ok with the fact that Johnson and Johnson is poisoning your baby... unless you insist on spending more money than you need...  you really have nothing to loose... and if you really want that fresh smell, just add a dab of your favorite essential oil scent!

And since we are on subject of poisoning yourself... there are many more culprits out there... Myself, I am still leaning about them... Deodorant, toothpast, sunscreen...  so what are your options... well for deodorant, it is so easy to make your own!!! Yes! And it works!!! Here is the recipe we use. If you are not in the mood to make your own, I have yet to find a cheap alternative, but for a few dollars you can easily find them online... etsy, www.well.ca... and by the way, if you have never ordered from well.ca, you are eligible for a 10$ off coupon code! Did I mention they are in Ontario! Go buy local! When it comes down to sunscreen, we use green beaver product.... here too, I have not been able to find a cheaper option... but really... who wants to cheap out here???? We also use their toothpaste (sorry, I just can't do the baking soda...) You can buy their product online at well.ca as well! (I also love their natural bug repellent) 

So this is just the beginning!!! There is a lot more to it... And I too, am still learning... one change at a time... why... because if I can make a difference in my health, in my environment and SAVE money while supporting my local economy... then we all win.

Over the next few years, I am hoping to make even more changes... as I educate myself, as I discover sustainable option, and as these option become more easily available. 

If you made it this far, reading this post, then I encourage you to perhaps check out the Green Living Show in Toronto from April 12-14, 2013. If you look around on the internet, there are a few different ways to get free tickets.

Also, one last thing I would like to mention is the company Little eco foot print which I just recently discovered. They are Ontario based and proposed a subscription to a mystery box geared towards family with young kids between the ages of 0-3. So once a month you receive a box with eco product. You can subscribe for 1 months, 3 months or 6 months. I just did it and I am anxiously waiting for my first box!! I will blog about it when it comes ;-) If you are interested check out their facebook group, you also have a chance to win one there.And if you decide to order, you can use my affiliate link ;-)

Tuna is 17 months today!

Tuna is 17 months today! This past month has been filled with new milestones and achievement!

• She slept through the night for the first time!!! (Must have been a fluke, because it did not happened again)

• She got one new tooth bringing the grand total to 6 (and there is another one on the way)

• Within one week, she added over 10 words to her vocabulary! Which is kind of a relief because so far she had been a little bit behind language wise.

• She also made her first sentence! "oh-oh miaow miaow bobo, no no no" translation: Oh no, the cat got hurt, this is no good.
• After having a bad cold, she is now an expert nose blower!
• She still enjoys breastfeeding!

Her favorite new toys are Play d'Oh and Mr. Potato.

And since mommy let's her watch 10-15 minutes of youtube a day, her favorite show is "The Smurfs".

And the biggest milestone of them all....

Drum roll...

Tuna had a growth spur and is now officially just over 30 inches tall!!!!!

Recipe : Super E crab cake

So I really felt like having crab cake for dinner. I went to the grocery but they had none... so I bought 2 cans of crab meat and went home to make them myself!

Here is what I did :

True to myself, I just dumped all the ingredients in a big bowl and mixed it with a potato masher.

-2 cans of crab meat drained
-1 cup of boiled potato
-1 cup boiled broccoli
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-1 tsp lemon juice
-1/4 cup mayo
-pepper to taste
-garlic salt to taste


After giving it all a good mix, I split the mix in 5 and made patty. I then rolled the patties in more bread crumbs.

I then cooked them in a skillet (with a little bit of oil or butter) for about 4 min. each side or until golden.

And voilà!

And for those interesting... Hudson loved it!

*Note* The amount was fine for 2 adults and one toddler... for a family of four, I would probably double the recipe. Canned Salmon would work as well and be a cheaper option!

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: