26 March 2012

Keeping me busy these days....

This little peanut is what has been keeping me busy over the past few weeks.  Kyla Adair McKinnon Potter was born on March 9th in a rather dramatic fashion and she has been rocking our world ever since.  The past two weeks have been filled with many a sleepless night, hours upon hours spent searching the net for mothering advice, various trips to breastfeeding clinics around Toronto and numerous visitors dropping by to get a peak at our little one.

I don't think any of the classes, books, articles or advice I heard before Kyla was born could have possibly prepared me for motherhood, we are learning together and it is quite a ride indeed.  I hope to fill you in on our trials and triumphs soon - once we somehow muster up a schedule (apparently this is possible at some point - I can't wait!)

09 March 2012

It's a...

We are very happy to announce the arrival of baby Potter!  More details to come in the coming days.
To follow our tradition of video announcements here is a little something we cooked up:

05 March 2012

Favourite baby items, I think!

Our lives for the past few months have been consumed with getting ready for our first baby (who was due on Friday but has not graced us with his/her presence as of yet).  During this time we have, as I am sure you first time moms can attest, been bombarded with the many, many baby products out there.  Researching the various brands of baby essentials can be exhausting, there are seriously so many choices!  I have spent a lot of time asking other moms, visiting babygismo.com (great website for moms) and doing general internet research (thank you to other blogging mothers!) and am very excited about some of the items we have purchased and although I can't give full reviews on these yet, (having not been able to use them - come on Baby P., let's get this show on the road!), I thought I'd include my Top 5 items thus far - basically the baby items I am most excited to try out.

#5. Live Clean Baby Products - We came across the Live Clean collection last year and have been using it ever since.  These products are made in Canada and center around the ethos - 'Good for You, Good for the Earth'.  We also very much appreciate the fact that none of the products are tested on animals or use any animal ingredients.  You can buy these products at Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart and there is not a huge price difference compared to other baby wash products out there. Of course not having a need to try out this part of the Live Clean line  I am eager to test them out.


#4. Stroller - UPPAbaby Vista 2012
With two dogs in the house I knew we needed a stroller we could take to the beach, on the boardwalk, into a dog park etc.  In other words we needed an all-terrain baby pushing machine!  I was so excited to hear about the changes made to the UPPAbaby Vista for 2012 and crossed my fingers that we would get ours in time for Baby P.'s arrival, which we did.  I love the new black frame and the changes made to the wheels sound great as well as the new bassinet features.  I am very impressed with UPPAbaby's Green Minded focus for not only this stroller but the company as a whole.  Along with the 2012 Vista, I am also super pumped about the new cup holder and parent organizer.  I am very much looking forward to our first family walk with the dogs in tow. A big thank you to Gran for this fabulous necessity!


#3. Kidco Go-Pod - As I have previously mentioned we live in a small space so any baby products that fold, tuck away and are not as obtrusive in their design get five stars from me.  I know we won't be using this one for a little while but I am very excited for when we do.  Basically acting as a portable exersaucer the Go-Pod can be easily packed away for storage or to take on an outing.  I also love that you can attach your own toys around the outer edges for baby play.


#2. Diaper Bag - I am not sure many get a thrill out of a diaper bag but this diaper bag is like no other as it is my one luxury item which my wonderful husband bought for me.  This Petunia Picklebottom - Earl Grey Boxy Backpack is simply so pretty and I find myself just dropping in on the nursery to look at it.  I also do have to say from a practical standpoint the attached diaper pad seems like a great idea which I am eager to try out on route.

                                                                                    
                              

#1. gDiapers - Most people look at me like I am
nuts when they realize I am planning on using cloth diapers and let me be honest, I don't exactly advertise it but it seems to creep up in conversations.  I have learned pretty quickly how defensive other moms can get when it comes to parenting choices and for some reason cloth diapers is right up there with having an epidural - touchy subject for many.  Nevertheless here are my reasons as to why I hope we can cloth diaper and are willing to give it a try.  This is not to say it is any better then any other said choice of diaper, it just feels right for me.
a.  I would like to save money and I'll be honest this is basically my top reason.
b.  In beginning to do research into cloth diapering I learned a lot about what goes into a regular diaper so even if we don't end up using cloth diapers I think we would for sure use biodegradable diapers.
c. I really like the idea that cloth/biodegradable diapers will lessen our environmental footprint which is important to me.
d. I also just like the idea of being more natural/organic and rolling with this when it comes to parenting in general.
So - I am most excited to see how our first choice in cloth diapering after so much research works out for us.  I can't help but already love the gDiapers we have purchased, they are adorable and seem to be really easy to use so fingers crossed all systems are a go and expect a full review to come.  It is a bit scary but hey what's new as a first time mom!