A Home for the Hendersons- A Canadian Baby Blog

Things I don't want to forget...

2014-05-27T10:16:00.000-04:00

Almost a year since I last posted. Anyone still there?

Things I don't want to forget...

-The way Ellie says "Oh right" when she realizes she was wrong, or is corrected.

-Ellie's speech right now in general. I don't mind if she always says "I wub you mummy"

-Jackson tucking Ellie in for her nap every day. She can't go to sleep without a hug and kiss from her best friend.

-Jackson's sweet heart. Always hugging, always picking flowers for everyone.

-The way Jackson and Ellie do everything together. I need to hold on to that memory for the times they are teenagers and fighting like cats and dogs.

The little things.

Today.

2013-06-18T11:33:00.001-04:00

6 Years

2013-06-02T11:19:00.002-04:00

Happy Anniversary to my best friend, my love, my partner (in crime), my anchor, my rock, the father of my babies, "the one" that was meant just for me.

I'm so glad i found you when i was just 19. Some people search forever for this.

GOMI

2013-05-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

Wow. I hadn't heard of GOMI (Get Off My Internets) before today, after browsing the site for a few minutes all i can say is WOW. I only checked it out after reading that people on this site were bashing on of my fav bloggers I Rock So What. A whole website dedicated to people complaining about blogs/blog writers, how lame. I wouldn't even recommend checking it out really, unless you want to see the worst of humanity. Really, how does anyone have time to not only read blogs, but then go onto forums and bash the bloggers. "Can you believe how she dresses her children", "her blog is so boring", "What does her husband DO all day as a stay at home dad"...blah blah blah. The words of people who must have horrible insecurities, or no will to find something better to do with their time.

This post is rather pointless, and godihopethesehorriblegomiersdontreadmyblog (the seem to only target popular blogs, yay I'm not popular! HaHa!) . I hate seeing mean crap like this.

All of you truly beautiful people, have an equally beautiful day ; )

Babywearing

2013-05-05T10:19:00.001-04:00

I wanted to share a couple of resources, regarding baby wearing and proper ways to carry baby, as well as baby carriers to avoid. When Jackson was first born, we used a Snugli. As a first time mom i wasn't aware of the risks of using certain types of carriers, nor was i aware of how uncomfortable they can be for the wearer! We've come a long way. Not only are the carriers i use now better for baby, they are so comfy, i can easily carry Ellie or Jackson for an extended period (24 and 34 lbs).

We currently use a Beco, as well as a ring sling. The Beco is super comfy, and i can carry them for hours. They can only face in, on chest or back. But this is better for them. I do prefer the ring sling for shorter periods, as it is quicker to take on and off. I absolutely think a good quality baby carrier is an investment in your baby.

A wonderful artcile from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute explains proper use of baby carriers as well as car seats.

Another great article written by a Chiro about proper babywearing. (Note; the author cites at the beginning; "...The gold standard for carrying your baby should be your own arms. In other words, an upright carrier should hold your baby the way your arms would, e.g., facing you with legs in a frog-like, spread-squat position with the baby's weight supported across the buttocks and thighs.")

Randoms

2013-05-03T08:23:00.000-04:00

Needing to make space on my phone. Apparently 600 photos is a lot to keep on an iPhone. Who knew?

Spring = kids covered in sand and dirt.

Making our own yummy (secretly healthy) popsicles. Also, i will carry this girl around as long as she'll let me.

LOTS of time being spent at the park.

Finally able to start some gardening. I've been itching to plant for weeks!

Feeding the fish in Townsend.

They were so well behaved, they didn't try and drive off into the sunset once! Haha.

Toothy smiles. Unfortunately we have eye teeth coming in, so there has been less smiling lately.

Terrible photo, but the first evening eating supper outside. Grilled tuna and wine, YUM!

Things I'm Loving...

2013-04-15T20:17:00.000-04:00

-Paper flowers from West Elm . This would be a wonderful Mothers Day gift, that will last forever.

-This post. So funny and true, makes me realize how old I am. What is swag?

-Some lovely, thoughtful Mother's Day gift ideas.

-All of the signs in this Etsy shop, TheHouseofBelonging . This one is my fave, reminds me of my Jelly Bean. (With the tantrums this little lady has been throwing, she is definitely going to be a fierce one!)

-The amazing spring weather we had today. I'll be sad to see her leave again. Oh warm weather please stick around a bit longer! I've got two kiddos that are dying to play in the water daily!

-Lastly, watching Desperate Housewives on Netflix. I know I'm way late, but this is a fun guilty pleasure! It is mostly ridiculous, but sometimes actually relate able.

What are you loving?

White Velvet Cake & Strawberry Buttercream

2013-04-09T14:08:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share the recipes i used for Ellie's birthday cake. I made Cake Boss's White Velvet Cake, and Best Friends for Frosting's Strawberry Butter cream.

They were super easy and turned out delicious. I did have to bake the cake for about 5 minutes longer than the recipe stated.

To ice, i just made varying sizes of rosettes (swirls) all over, and then filed the gaps in with smaller dots. Literally the easiest way to ice a cake ever.

Elody: 1 Year

2013-04-08T15:41:00.001-04:00

Some fun facts about our lady.

In one year Ellie has...

Made our family complete. Brought immense sunshine to our lives. Made my heart grow ten times. Become a best friend to Jackson. Wrapped her daddy around her finger. And Grandma too.

There are too many wonderful things to possibly write about Elody. To meet her for a second is to love her. We so look forward to watching her grow into a little girl. The past few weeks have brought more teeth, babbling, mimicking sounds, walking (now running!), i feel as if i can literally see her mind working. She is growing and learning so incredibly fast right now. Our first year with her was a beautiful thing.

The cake. White velvet, with strawberry buttercream.

She was excited when she saw it...

And then unsure.

In the end she loved it, and ate half of her little cake.

Exciting, crazy busy, fun day. It feels so good to see everyone love our baby girl.

one. (almost)

2013-04-06T10:18:00.000-04:00

Today, we celebrate this precious love muffin. Tomorrow she turns one.

It will be a bittersweet day for this momma.

But today, we celebrate. In one year this lady has made our world a more beautiful place.

Easter: Photo Overload

2013-04-02T21:14:00.002-04:00

Their baskets (photographed in the morning after the Easter Bunny came of course!)

I believe she is saying "S'up?"

"I want to change the changers !" (Obsessed with colour changing cars)

He is so affectionate. Love that about him.

Seriously.

I need a special camera for ridiculously cute baby girls.

Yep. Heart exploded.

I want to eat those cheeks.

SO hard to get a picture of this boy!

One more. For good measure.

Product Review: Bébélelo Bouncer

2013-03-30T09:09:00.000-04:00

I was recently contacted by Bébélelo to try out one of their bouncy chairs. Of course i am always happy to try out different baby products, and give my honest opinion.

Out of the box, the chair is fully assembled (just snap the toy bar into place). We like not having to assemble things : ) This bouncy chair has several different incline adjustments. It would be suitable in full recline for a newborn baby, or fully upright for an older baby who wants to see the world. It also has different height adjustments, and a stability bar at the front, if you want to stop it from rocking. Ellie enjoyed the hanging animals, but i would likely remove the toy bar for her use, as she is able to climb in and out of the chair on her own (Hence her not being strapped in. Babies should always be securely strapped into a bouncy chair until they are old enough to safely climb in and out on their own. ) The attached bear pillow is especially nice for younger babies who would probably sleep in the chair.

I mostly liked this chair, as it seems very well made and durable. Other chairs tend to be flimsy, with thin frames that just don't seem like they would stand the test of time as well. I also liked that it is gender neutral and not too "themey" (read: princesses)

You can check out all of Bébélelo's products on their website. They also have a Facebook page.

Bébélelo is located in Laval, QC, and delivers all over Canada!

Wordless Wednesday

2013-03-27T20:30:00.001-04:00

Fugal Mama Tips: Cloth Diapering

2013-03-22T13:23:00.000-04:00

Having children can be expensive, or you can choose more frugal options. I wanted to do a series of posts, demonstrating a few ways we have found to save money, while raising our two kiddos. The first, and possibly biggest money saver has been cloth diapering.

Most estimates put the cost of using disposable diapers from birth to potty training at around $2900 per child (I'm sure this number could be A LOT lower depending on the brand of diaper used) I estimate our costs for cloth diapering to be around $1000, for TWO children. Saving us approximately $4800!

To break that down, $300 for the actual diapers (that includes around 36 diapers and extra absorbent liners for overnight) $600 for laundering the diapers (assuming each child is in diapers for 3 years) and another $100 for a wet bag (to contain the diapers while out of the house) a diaper pail, and cloth wipes. We do buy disposable diapers occasionally for use on longer periods of time away from home, or if I just plain old forgot to wash the diapers before we ran out! We also used disposable wipes for a long time, only recently really switching to cloth.

The diapers we use are around $6.00 a diaper. I like Kawaii, Comfy Rumps, and Alva. All of these more affordable brands have stood the test of time, and could easily be used to diaper more than one child. This is where you can either save money, or actually spend substantially more than disposables if you choose a more expensive brand of diapers. Some popular brands are around $20-$25 per diaper. I do have a couple of these, and they really don't preform any better than a much cheaper option.

Comfy Rumps

Kawaii

Boosters/inserts/liners are essential for overnight cloth diapering. I prefer hemp, it is very trim and ultra absorbent. We like AMP Hemp Boosters. We use 2 at night, as both of our kiddos sleep for 12 hours.

We use a plain old white waste bin, with a locking top, for storing the dirty diapers.

Our wipes are homemade. I cut an old receiving blankets into squares, and sewed the edges to prevent fraying. These were basically free. I just place them in an empty wipes container, with a little water.

Lastly, our wet bag, is by Bummis. We use a small one for traveling away from home.

As for washing the diapers? It's simple, every 3 days, i run them through a cold rinse, then a hot/warm cycle with soap (not all laundry soaps are created equal, for a list of cloth friendly laundry soaps check this out) I personally use Sunlight powder, and have had no build up or smell issues.. Diapers need lots of water to get clean, so the load size should be set on Max.

Any tips or questions about cloth diapering? Let me know!

A Wedding

2013-03-20T20:52:00.000-04:00

My sister in law Kaitlin was married a little over a week ago. I don't have many pictures from our camera, the boy was too wild to pose, and it was a crazy hectic day. However i do have a couple that i love <3

My favorite Jelly bean

He NEVER stops!

The only photos of them together. Thats real life though ; )

She loves her some Daddy kisses

This girl is always smiling!

This is the year! I hope to have family pictures taken. There are just so few of us all together.

Ellie Jane: 11 Months

2013-03-13T21:29:00.000-04:00

ELEVEN! Almost one year. I don't even have the words, my last baby is almost a freaking toddler!

Miss.Jelly (that is pretty much her name at this point) is a whirlwind of growth and development at this point;

She can walk almost fully now, and it is the cutest thing ever. I say almost, as she still crawls about half of the time.

Ellie loves to take things out of bins, containers and boxes, and put them back. She also likes to take her books off of the shelves and put them back.

She learned a fun new skill this week, dumping cups of water over her head in the bath, over and over again, squealing with delight.

Ellie also loves to imitate sounds, noises and silly faces. She isn't much of a talker yet, mostly babbling still, but she can imitate the silliest of sounds.

Our girl so growing like a weed! I know everyone says that, but it's really true. She is almost 24 pounds. I will likely not know her height until I can get her to hold reasonably still for more than a mere moment.

Most importantly, our jelly bean steals our hearts, more and more with each passing day. I swear she is the smiliest, happiest baby ever (unless she is tired, then, get her to her bed before she kills the world!) And, although i may be biased, i do believe she is the most beauiful little lady in all the land.

Only 3.5 weeks until the big first birthday :*)

Lately.

2013-03-12T13:18:00.001-04:00

I wish there was a camera that could truly capture the beauty of their smiles.

Product Review: Comfy Rumps Cloth Diapers

2013-02-24T17:25:00.001-05:00

We recently received a Comfy Rumps diaper to try out and review, in a cute jean print to boot! We have used a handful of different brands, Fuzzibunz, Alva, and Kawaii. I can honestly say this is the most absorbent diaper I have ever used, our Fuzzibunz all-in-ones are a close second.

The diaper has a built in soaker, and a pocket, so additional absorbency can be added. I didn't need to! Jackson just turned 3, and we are working on potty training, but still using cloth every day. I usually have to add a hemp soaker for him, but the Comfy Rumps lasted 3 hours without anything added (I generally change at the 3 hr point whether wet or not, so I can't attest to how it would do after that)

Love this diaper, and they come in so many adorable colours. Also, VERY affordable : )

You can check out their site here.

Comfy Rumps have graciously offered to give one of my readers a free diaper as well! To enter please go to their Facebook page and "like" it, leave me a comment when you do. I will announce the winner in one week !

Our Weekend Looked Like This

2013-02-19T20:25:00.001-05:00

Celebrations. My handsome boy. Baking bread. First pigtails. Family movie day. Fish lips.

Happy Love Day!

2013-02-13T21:31:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the worst pictures ever! We must be in love : )

Bahahaha. That is all.

We were fun once...

EPIC BEARD. Yes i used the word epic. Because i'm a hipster apparently.

Sober. I swear.

I dont even know what to say.

El Bandito and the Fairy.

HAPPY LOVE DAY. Go love someone!

Miss Jelly: 10 Months

2013-02-08T14:52:00.001-05:00

A year ago I was counting down the days until I would meet my daughter. Now I'm trying to slow them down.

Ellie is such a little love bug. She continues to be a smiley happy lady, saving the best smiles for her big brother. Daddy claims she said "Jackson" today, I'll believe it when I hear it. Haha. Ellie has a big personality and it is really blossoming, she LOVES to make others laugh. My little ham. She is a bit more clingy to her mama than Jackson was, but I don't mind one bit : )

She continues to grow like a weed, at last check she was 22lbs. A far cry from the 6lbs15ozs she was not so long ago. Our girl is so close to walking, just needing to hold one of our fingers for support (I'm convinced she can do it, she's just being cautious) Ellie still has 8 teeth (no new teeth in 4 months!) and won't stop biting mommy with them.

Annnnd, Miss Jelly is awake from her nap. Back to mommy duty ( aka snuggling and nomming her chubby cheeks!)

Not a baby

2013-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Jackson Graeme turns 3 today.

Any mommy knows what this does to the heart. It's heart wrenching watching the last bits of baby-ness slip away. At the same times my heart explodes. With pride in every new thing learned, joy in seeing the love for his baby sister, excitement in seeing the boy he is becoming.

Jackson has been such a wonderful gift. He makes every day exciting, and truly spreads joy to everyone he meets.

He is my little wild man. This poem SO describes him.

You Are My I Love You

Author: Maryann K Cusimano

I am your parent you are my child
I am your quiet place, you are my wild
I am your calm face, you are my giggle
I am your wait, you are my wiggle
I am your audience, you are my clown
I am your London Bridge, you are my falling down
I am your Carrot Sticks, you are my licorice
I am your dandelion, you are my first wish
I am your water wings, you are my deep
I am your open arms, you are my running leap
I am your way home, you are my new path
I am your dry towel, you are my wet bath
I am your dinner you are my chocolate cake
I am your bedtime, you are my wide awake
I am your finish line, you are my race
I am your praying hands, you are my saving grace
I am your favourite book, you are my new lines
I am your nightlight, you are my sunshine
I am your lullaby, you are my peek-a-boo
I am your kiss goodnight, you are my I love you

What Well Behaved Children Look Like

2013-01-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

A post i wanted to share. I love this. Of course children should act like children, patience and good behaviour take time to learn (and hello, most adults have zero patience and really don't behave all that well). I think a lot of adults forget that they were once a child, and likely behaved in the same way.

http://www.iamnotthebabysitter.com/well-behaved-child-look-like/

* This is from a week ago, apparently my posts aren't posting : (

Try,Make,Do

2013-01-11T23:41:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Danielle @ Sometimes Sweet, this weekend I will;

Try something new, make someone smile, and do something for myself. Have a beautiful weekend!

I love these photos. Imperfect photography, beautiful subjects.

Elody Jane: 9 Months

2013-01-08T11:43:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Jelly;

9 months have flown by. I love you more every day. You are a sweet, smiley loving lady. You love to give kisses. You love to MOVE! Cruising around the house, climbing everything, and standing up in your crib. You love your brother more than anything in the world. He makes you giggle all day. You light up the lives of everyone around you, and your joy is contagious. I can't wait to see what the next 9 months bring my love.

Ellie, a few days shy of 9 months.