Heather Bays

Oh Christmas.

2011-12-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again. The time to indulge! You worked for weeks preparing for this holiday and in within hours, it will all unravel. It's like a bloody wedding, only it happens every year!! I need simplicity. I find that the long line ups at big box stores, and the greedy children with the competitive parents a bit too much to stomach. 'Tis the season for GIVING! I think we forgot what giving means. It doesn't mean to give Wal-Mart gift cards, or buy something silly for the sake of having a gift. It doesn't even mean buying your daughter those $200 boots that she ASKED you to buy her for Christmas. It is about giving yourself. Where is the love in a gift card? Or a cell phone?

Christmas isn't just one day for a lot of people. You get a steady steam of gifts for a few days in and around the 25th as you visit with different people. And some people will hope for gift certificates so they can afford to do the last of their Christmas shopping! Or some people just regift their gifts so they have gifts to give. I hate how people hem and haw over getting gifts for certain people because god forbid they receive a gift and not have one to give in return. Oh and of course my favourite one..."you can't give a gift from a second hand store". How stressful. I grew up watching Charlie Brown Christmas and Pink Panther Christmas, I was constantly being taught by Christmas movies that Christmas isn't about presents, it's about giving a piece of you to someone in need, or as an act of love to someone you care about. But then I was constantly being threatened that Santa's watching and he'll take away my presents. These are very confusing messages, especially for a child. Which message do you want your child to understand?

Please know I say all this because I am experiencing that last minute Christmas rush. Which I know if my fault for leaving all this until the last minute, but just know that, if I had the time to get this done earlier, I would have. (My life is on the worlds fastest roller coaster ride right now, but luckily I'm about to get off!) I found myself at Chapters. I went in with a list of like 30 people and went through the store checking off people as I saw things. Then I stood in what felt like the worlds longest line up and paid a $300 bill before heading to the next one. Now with a couple more people to get for, I gotta go hit the stores on December 24th. So I get to witness and experience this mass amounts of consumerism which is not what Christmas is about. I also think I feel a little out of sorts because I did NO CHRISTMAS BAKING!!! Can you believe that!? Baking is just one of those things for me. Brings me back down. Instead I will just think of my ideal Christmas...we get together, eat food we all made together, sing songs and jam together, have a few drinks together in a warm cozy environment, maybe have a little no-pressure gift exchange. It's just so wonderful.

Laugh.

2011-12-22T00:54:00.000-05:00

Make the photo bigger by clicking it!

Sleepless to Sleepful!

2011-12-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

Bedtime can be a nightmare for MANY parents. For us, it WAS great! Bug was a GREAT sleeper from day one, but then all of a sudden, she started to wake up like 4 or 5 times a night and scream until I gave her boob and then she'd fall back to sleep only to do it again a couple hours later. It was exhausting. I tried letting her cry it out...that kid didn't give up...EVER! lol. When we lived at my father-in-laws house for a few months, in between moving back to Winnipeg from Toronto and buying this house, he had cable tv. I watched Super Nanny one day and that's where I learned what I did. At first I didn't like the idea of "sleep training", but I think if you find something that works for your child, then great. And this technique I used on Bug worked for her because it only took 2 days! Seriously! I did this almost 2 months ago, and after those 2 days, things have been golden!! Just STICK TO IT!! Keep in mind that all babies are different, so a different techniques all together may work better for your baby. But with everything else, it's trial and error. Babies are oh so simple, yet oh so complicated sometimes, lol.

Do whatever routine you do in the evening with your child and when s/he's sleepy and calm, make the room night ready and put them in the crib. S/he will probably start to cry right away, so just sit a few feet from the crib kinda with your back to your child, but enough that they can see the side of your face. Do not make eye contact and do not react to the screaming. Sit there facing forward with your side to the crib until your child is sleeping. This may take a long time at first. So just wait it out, it WILL get better. You'll probably notice a difference within days. When s/he's sleeping, leave the room quietly. When s/he wakes up at any time in the night, just go in there, don't say any thing at all, just kiss them, lay them back down and sit in the same place with your side to the crib. Doing this consistently will show them that you're there and s/he'll learn to fall asleep on their own. As the days go on, move closer and closer to the door until you are no longer in the room! Watch THIS VIDEO to see an example.

Now, we have an evening routine that I stick to. I call it The Four B's. Bath. Books. Boob. Bed. After the bath, I read like a dozen books to Adelaide and then I breastfeed her. By then, she's calm and kinda sleepy. So I bring her to her room , turn off the lights and put her in her crib. She cries for a minute and then she goes to sleep and sleeps through the night until about 7 or 8am. If she does wake up in the night, she whimpers for a second but falls back to sleep on her own, so I don't have to get up anymore!

It's amazing how crazy you start to feel when you become so sleep deprived. I wish you many sleepful nights. Good luck and feel free to comment and let me know how this worked for you and your child. But please, before you try this, I encourage you to read this article first just so you are knowledgeable about the other side of it. It's always best to make sure you see the bigger picture, because what works for one baby may not work for another. Listen to your baby.

Bug Turns One!

2011-11-10T16:38:00.000-05:00

My goooooooodness!! Exactly one year ago right now, I was pushing out a baby! At this moment 365 days ago, I would have been getting out of my bath tub to rip down a shower curtain to birth my baby on. Wanna read more about my home birth? Please click HERE. It was the best day of my life. Moments after birthing Adelaide, I said, "I would SO do that again!" So intimate, so personal, so loving, so real, so magical, so perfect.
Happy Birthday darlin'!

And The Winner Is......

2011-11-06T18:32:00.000-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS KATE!!! Please email me at heatherbays@gmail.com! Let me know what flavour cupcake you'd like to arrive in your mailbox!! YAY!!!

It's Tea Time with Banana Chocolate Cupcakes.

2011-11-02T22:54:00.000-04:00

This is a European recipe, so I converted the grams and ounces to cups and mls. I have European measuring utensils appropriate for this recipe, so if you have American measuring utensils then half a cup for me is 118mls whereas half a cup for you is 125mls. This recipe is written in my measurements with yours in the brackets.

CUPCAKES
   118 mls (half cup) butter
   177 mls (3/4 cup) sugar
   2 eggs
   2 large mashed ripe bananas
   1 tsp baking soda
   2 tbsp boiling milk
   1 tsp baking powder
   236 mls (1 cup) flour

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in mashed banana. Add baking soda that has been dissolved in the boiled milk. Mix in sifted flour and baking powder. Don't over beat batter!
Bake at 325 F for 18-25 minutes. Until they are light golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING
   148 mls (2/3 cup) unsalted softened butter
   207 mls (3/4 + 1/8 cup [or 5/8 cup]) confectioners sugar
   29 mls (1/8 cup) cocoa powder
   1 tbsp lukewarm milk
   1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sift in the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder. Add the milk and vanilla. If it needs more milk, add up to 1 more teaspoon of lukewarm milk. Mix until well incorporated. If it looks curdled, add more confectioners sugar.

Words of Life

2011-09-14T12:42:00.001-04:00

"You can speak to your children of life,
but your words are not life itself.
You can show them what you see,
but your showing and their seeing
are forever different things.

You cannot speak to them of Divinity Itself.
But you can share with them
the millions of manifestations of this Reality
arrayed before them every moment.
Since these manifestations have their origin
in the Tao,
the visible will reveal the invisible to them.

Don't mistake your desire to talk for their
readiness to listen.
Far more important are the wordless truths they
learn from you.
If you take delight in the ordinary wonder of
life,
they will feel the depth of your pleasure
and learn to experience joy.
If you walk with them in the darkness of life's
mysteries
you will open the gate to understanding.
They will learn to see in the darkness
and not be afraid.

*

Go for a slow and mindful walk.
Show them every little thing that catches your
eye.
Notice every little thing that catches theirs.
Don't look for lessons or seek to teach great
things.
Just notice.
The lesson will teach itself."

-The Parent's Tao Te Ching.
Every parent should read this book.

And for more on the Tao, check out Nothing Just Is.

Golden Ages to the Dark Ages of Teething

2011-09-10T00:58:00.000-04:00

On average, a baby will cut their first tooth at 7 months. Which is around the same age they become these dangerously fast paced curious little creatures who may bite, pull hair and twist nipples when given the chance. Such busy bodies with equally busy brains. Adelaide got her first tooth at the beginning of August, and now she is working on her 5th one. For teething pain I just give her frozen berries and icecubes or frozen cubed cantaloupe in her Nuby mesh thing and she really LOVES it. She also loves her cthulhu's frozen tentacles, lol. And when the pains really bad, at night before bed I'll cave and give her a half dose of baby pain reliever. You could try Camilia. I get to brush the little teeth every night when we're in the bathtub! They're just the cutest little things.

I've noticed Adelaide eating more since she got her first tooth. So I get vegetables and fruits (homegrown and organic as much as possible) and puree batches big enough so there's plenty left over to freeze a few meals. Here is a super helpful and encouraging site to keep you from feeding your baby boxed or jarred instant food from the grocery store. http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com. If you wanna make batches and freeze them like I do but need a bit of advice, just read THIS. We kept her on a gluten-free dairy-free sugar-free diet at first (mainly because of the yeast rash.) She's since had plain yoghurt which I add fruit to for a sweetener (because she still remains sugar free), and organic brown rice and organic oats which I just process to a fine grain in the food processor. The way I see it, it's only an hour and a half per week to make baby food. You could make bigger batches so you only have to make it every 2 weeks. Whatever works for you and your schedule!

When we started giving Adelaide textured lumpy food and finger foods, it was a little scary at first. I was so afraid she was gonna choke. I also wanted to avoid sugar and gluten filled prepackaged foods that some books recommend. Chopped banana is an easy choice, especially if you're on the go. Or soft fruits like plums, cantaloupe, berries, pears, or avocado without peels of course. Or bake small cubes of sweet potato adding cinnamon and nutmeg until they are super tender (and of course you can omit the spices.) Or slice an eggplant after peeling it and add minced garlic with a dash of pepper and let the eggplant sit and sweat for about an hour or more, then bake for 40 minutes on about 350F, let cool and dice in small bits.

I can't wait til she can eat what we eat! Curries, stews, soups, BBQ! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!! I'm even going to attempt making breast milk ice cream!! Sugar-free of course! So babies can eat it. Perfect for teething!!

The Yeast Beast. Part Two.

2011-08-12T04:27:00.000-04:00

Ya know, I have been dreading this blog entry. I have been putting it off simply because I don't want to write about yeast or candida. If you have dealt with a yeast infection in your life (especially with a baby too) then you'll know what I mean. Once the battle is over, you just want to forget about it and stop thinking about it, which means, I've not wanted to write about it. But I want to conclude this because we got rid of it naturally! YAY! And often people struggle with yeast for a long time. So maybe this can help.

Our battle started here The Yeast Beast. Part One. So you may want to read part one before continuing.

Things got MUCH better fast after we got home and I saw my naturopath, Catherine. (If you live in the Winnipeg area and would like to see her, I'll be glad to pass on her info.) She wasn't surprised that I got in to this mess. She gave me 3 different kinds of acidophilus, one VERY strong one, one pretty strong one, and one strong but not as strong as the others. Catherine encouraged me to stay on a no sugar, gluten and dairy diet. Basically the Candida diet, which is like the Paleolithic diet. When I studied these diets at the beginning of all this, it was overwhelming. It seemed like so many restrictions and that there was hardly anything I could eat. But it's really about what works for YOU! So, after talking to Catherine I brought back coconut milk and brown rice and organic oats (the ones that take like half hour to cook, lol) to my diet, which was good because I had read so many places that these were restricted, which means I was pretty much only eating fruits and veg. I was never really satisfied. It was driving me bonkers! So yay, bringing back coconut milk, brown rice and oats brings SO MANY other recipes to the table! Basically, drink water often and just cut out refined foods!

Refined sugars include sweet substances that have been processed and milled to the point that the sugar particles are extremely fine. When refined sugars are eaten, the sugars are able to quickly enter the blood stream. This can spike the blood sugar, causing the body to feel instantly energized. Unfortunately, the energy received from refined sugars is short-lived, and will cause a sudden energy drop shortly afterward. When the energy level drops so suddenly, it causes the body to crave more sugars in order to compensate for the energy loss. This cycle leads to the consumption of excess calories, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Refined sugars include white sugar, corn syrup, refined honey and refined maple syrup. Instead of using refined sugars, chose whole-food sweeteners, such as raw honey or black strap molasses.
Refined flours have been milled so much that nearly all of the nutritional value has been lost. Many refined flours are fortified in order to compensate for the loss of vitamins and minerals. Refined flours are very fine in texture, and enter the blood stream as quickly as refined sugars, causing the same spike and drop in energy levels. Refined flours include white flour and products created with white flour, such as pastries, cookies, cakes and crackers. Choose whole-grain flours and baked goods that are minimally refined, instead of refined white flour products.
Refined produce include vegetables and fruits that have been cooked to the point that most of the vitamins, fiber and minerals have been lost, and canned. Using canned vegetables and fruits in recipes and in meals will not nourish the body and will cause the body to not have enough fiber to maintain proper digestion. Eating a great deal of processed and refined vegetables and fruits can lead to malnutrition and constipation. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables that still retain their nutrient levels and fiber, instead of refined, canned produce.

Adelaide continued with her acidophilus and we bought a jar of 'Baby Got Back' which has tea tree oil in it which kills yeast. Smother it on baby's butt whenever you put them in a diaper. We got a pack of disposables until this was dealt with because yeast can live inside the cloth diaper, so you need to treat/sterilize your diapers. Here's how you do it:

Cold wash with Tea Tree Oil (3-4 drops)
Hot wash with an oxygen cleaner (Vaska OxygenBleach or Bio Kleen Oxygen Bleach Plus are options)
Lay out in sun or dry on high heat.

So that may seem like a lot of stuff, but it's not really. It's basically...we all take acidophilus, and we just eat healthier by eating fresh fruits and veg and proper grains! Ta-da! Refined foods haven't been around for very long, if you think about it, humans have been around for tens of thousands of years, so we JUST introduced all these processed foods high in sugars and chemicals to our bodies in the last few hundred years, and the food is getting more refined and artificial unless you make a real effort. So it's no wonder so many people suffer from health problems. Seriously, how many people do you know that are really "healthy" (whatever that really means)? You are what you eat aren't you? Your brain uses the food you give it. If you give your body crap, well, then your just full of crap! And that can make things in life more difficult for you in SO many ways. So I can't stress it enough...go back to basics whenever you can. Most of all, cut that sugar out! If you don't think you have a sugar addiction, I dare you to go just 5 days without ANY sugar. And no you can't have substituted sugars like aspartame or sucrose. Good luck.

If you are having trouble with recipe ideas including desserts, then stay tuned! I have sugar free, gluten free and dairy free recipes with photos coming your way SOON!

My First Garden.

2011-07-28T04:45:00.000-04:00

Just over a month ago I planted my very first garden! Now my garden is starting to really pay off! It's so rewarding and so colourful and SO delicious!

And from now on, if you come over to visit me, be prepared to leave with apples! The apple tree is VERY plentiful! You should also take some rhubarb!

The Yeast Beast. Part One.

2011-06-17T03:53:00.001-04:00

Candida is the scientific name assigned to yeast. Yeast in our body is complicated and a bit controversial, though, it's pretty serious business! Everyone has yeast in their body. And we all have Lactobacilus acidophilus and some other bacteria such as lactobacillus casei which are collectively known as acidophilus. These bacteria are in our body naturally and useful for us in many ways such as, they protect us from parasites, yeasts and other micro-organisms. They help in digestion by producing enzymes. They boost up our digestive system. They restore the balance of the micro flora in our digestive tract. They regularize the pH balance of the intestines by producing lactic acid.

These friendly bacteria are present in our body along with the yeasts. There exists a delicate balance between the two. The friendly bacteria or acidophilus deter the overgrowth of the yeast. When acidophilus enters a sugar rich environment, it converts the sugar into lactic acid. This lowers the pH level of the food and makes the environment unsafe for the yeasts. However some factors such as use of antibiotics, or poor diet, destroy these helpful bacteria. The yeasts get unbridled and start proliferating rapidly. This is the main cause of the yeast infections.

If you eat healthy and have a healthy gut flora then for the most part, you probably keep your yeast under control and balanced. However, that's harder then you think. Foods that feed the yeast consist of gluten, yeast, and sugar which means LOTS of foods. Foods that replenish and produce the acidophilus would be most veggies, almonds, fruits, meats and plain yogurt (with acidophilus).

If you have a yeast imbalance or a yeast infection it will show up in many different ways. You could have a rash somewhere on your body, usually in warm crevasses like armpits, ears, corners of mouth, tongue (known as thrush), your butt, your genitals, under or between your breasts and your feet (known as Athlete's Foot). Or it could be causing you fatigue, depression, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constipation or Acid Reflux. It could be the cause of lesions in areas like your nail beds, in your nostrils or the fold in your genital area.

I write this because we are fighting the yeast beast!! How did this happen?! When I thought about it, it's not surprising that this happened! Here's my story:

Back in February I had to go on Antibiotics. I knew that antibiotics can easily cause a yeast infection. I have been taking a probiotic for a couple years which means through my pregnancy. When I ran out I didn't get more. You know how it is with a new baby, days turn in to weeks which turn in to months. So then of course I went on those antibiotics and I still didn't get more acidophilus of any kind! (I know right, what the hell is wrong with me?!) And we all know about my baking addiction that really started when I first got pregnant which has turned me from a sugarholic to a crazy fiending sugarholic. Just think, all the ice cream cakes, the brownies, the cookies, the bread, the dough, the cakes and pies...HELLO YEAST. GOODBYE GOOD BACTERIA!!!! So really, why didn't I see this coming?! lol. My body was warning me, I ignored the signs. Then Adelaide started solids and of course I knew that pablum...boxed rice shit...was not necessary. But afraid of messing something up I just followed what people told me and what the mass does, I gave her some pablum with apples. I was using pablum as a thickener. Then I got her some Farleys Rusks! Why not right? They are deeeeelish and fun for her to feed herself. Well, those are gluten and sugar filled! Not long after, we discovered a rash on Adelaide's butt. I knew right away that it must be yeast related. A yeast diaper rash look like this. Of course, that prompted me to look in Bug's mouth and what do you know...thrush! A very mild case, but still, it was there!!

I knew I HAD to get acidophilus. We got some, I took 6 capsules a day, Julian took 2 a day and Adelaide had 1 a day that I broke open and dunked my wet finger in throughout the day to let her suck it off. You gotta treat the whole family otherwise it may not go away!! Since we use reusable cotton cloths for bum wipes with my own homemade natural wipe solution, I continued using them, only instead of the normal wipe solution I just used water with lots of apple cider vinegar because I read in many places that this would help. I wiped my boobs with this too after every feeding to avoid an infection in my breasts. I also took a few tablespoons of plain probiotic filled yoghurt and broke open one capsule of acidophilus to mix with it and used that to smother on Bug's butt whenever she was wearing a diaper. I made sure bug spent most of her day naked to air out her rash to keep it cool and dry. She only wore her cloth diapers when we went out. When she slept I just made an origami diaper using a receiving blanket. These are good to put on baby with or without a rash. They're so easy and all you need is a receiving blanket!

We also cut out sugar, gluten and dairy from our diets, except for plain yoghurt with probiotics. For me, this was challenging and shocking. I totally went through withdrawal from the sugar. I was irritable, got hot and cold flashes, got the shakes, always felt hungry, never felt satisfied, sweating, heart palpitations, exhaustion, and much more! I knew I was a sugar addict, but I didn't realize just HOW bad this was for me. After a few days, things got easier and much better. I started feeling fabulous. Better then I had since I was pregnant, which was the healthiest I had ever been. Though, with all this effort, after a couple weeks, Bug's butt wasn't getting that much better. It was like a roller coaster. It would be almost gone at the beginning of the day and flaming red by the end. Or she would wake up and it would be really bad and then it would get better throughout the day.

Enough was enough. We took her to see a Naturopathic Pediatrician in Toronto. They knew exactly how this problem happened without me even explaining. She knew I must've been consuming too much refined sugar and gluten. She wasn't surprised that I was prescribed antibiotics in the last year. And she knew that Bugs yeast infection must have sprung up right after we started her on solids because most people start baby on pablum or other boxed shit. She told us we did good research and we were doing everything right for treatment and to keep it up. She gave Bug a different acidophilus because she said babies need a different one then adult. This was a powder that I just put on my wet finger and give to Bug to suck off. The Doc liked the yoghurt acidophilus mixture idea on her butt, but also recommended tea tree oil. She said she's not sure why we still feed babies pablum as first foods. The yeasty constipating foods became popular during the war and we've just continued ever since. Babies can get all the nutrients and iron they need from fruits and vegetables. And of course she highly recommended we make food ourselves (which we obviously do) so you know where it's from and how it's been cooked. You have more control. It tastes and looks WAY better too. It's also SO SO SO easy! The Doc also said that I should see a naturopath as well and get my yeast balanced too because my milk was probably contributing to the problem. My naturopath is here in Winnipeg and since we were still in Toronto then but would be coming home soon, I knew I could wait the week to see her. So off we went home with hopes that we're on the right track to curing the actual candida problem and not just the side effect.

Read PART 2 HERE!

New Chapter.

2011-05-27T08:28:00.002-04:00

At this very moment, I'm listening to Dolly Parton, drinking a huge cup of coffee out of my dino mug and enjoying my last morning in my Toronto apartment by myself while my fam sleeps in. I'm really gonna miss it here!
Here we go again...! New chapter.

The Story of The Littlest Poncho.

2011-05-26T20:30:00.004-04:00

I can't believe how far I have come with crocheting! Less then a year ago it took me FOREVER to crochet anything. Then when I learned how to make Mary Jane's for babies, it opened up a whole new world. I just kept learning more and more. It went from Mary Jane's to Wooly Boots to Vintage Hats to the Weirdly Cute Teething Rattles. And then I made up my first pattern, my Baby to Toddler Leg Warmers! (I have some of these items up for auction this weekend only! Click HERE!)
Anyway, when I was at H&M in Eaton Centre a few weeks back, I saw a beautiful crocheted poncho in Adelaide's size. I squealed because it was SO cute. BUT...I couldn't decide if I wanted to spend the $40 on it. I hemmed and hawed, I decided if I still wanted it the next day, I would come back and get it. And then the most amazing thing happened! I LEARNED HOW TO MAKE THIS!! The Littlest Ponch. So, now my girl gets to be oh so stylish and I get to feel oh so awesome because now I can crochet anything! Well, maybe not anything...cardigans and sweaters look tricky!

A Bugs Life.

2011-05-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

Six Months.

2011-05-10T23:29:00.003-04:00

Adelaide has reached 6 months. She started off 5 lbs 13 oz and has now reached a whopping 17 pounds! Life is slowly getting crazier as she is becoming more independent. In the past month, so much has happened. It seems that when babies start to learn things, it's like a domino effect. She's becoming such a person now, full blown personality with more of an understanding on how things work. Incredible hand eye coordination. Eating food. Teething like mad (her bottom middle left tooth should make it's debut soon!) Rolling around. Sitting up. Pulling herself up to stand. Talking her own language. She's doing all the things a 6 month old should do but she has the temper of a two year old! It's the Bays/Horton temper and boy is it fierce. She can reach this crazy high pitch when she screams that make you cringe. When she first learned to scream, she thought it was funny. We did not encourage it, ever! But she still laughed. It's awful. She just wants to be heard I guess, lol.

She is SO in to music. Music anything and she just stares and takes it all in. Sometimes she'll sing with me when I sing to her. Her favourite is when Julian plays the guitar for her. I reckon she'll be very musical. There are some incredibly talented people on Julian's side! They can sing and play instruments, so you can imagine Christmas time is especially fun! You may have heard of Jodi King or Jenn Mierau and of course, lets not forget Hot Live Guys. My side of the family are the dancers. Can't really carry a tune, but LOVE music and LOVE to show off their moves.
Here, listen to Julian play Beirut for Adelaide while you finish reading!

Adelaide is starting to become independent. She likes to put her own soother in her mouth. She likes to hold her own bottle when I give her water. She grabs the spoon and tries to feed herself at meals. She's getting pretty good at feeding herself a biscuit. We're a fan of Farley's Rusks. Sometimes she'll have one mixed with breastmilk and bananas for breakfast. But she likes just eating the biscuits. They dissolve easily and they must feel great on her sore gums.

Introducing her to food is so fun! So far, she hasn't snubbed anything. She's had rice, banana, apple, pear, prune, avocado, pumpkin, peas, and sweet potato. I've also introduced her to cinnamon. I get recipes and ideas from http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/. I find it weird that in our culture we introduce the most constipated foods first. It's hard on their wee digestive systems. Bug LOVES sweet potatoes, but they also constipate her really bad. Good thing she loves prunes! I am looking forward to the next couple weeks when we're gonna start adding new things to the menu and spice it up a bit! Just because we're Canadian, doesn't mean we gotta feed her that way!

With all the changes going on in her diet and her teething roller coaster ride, she's become more susceptible to diaper rashes. So she is experiencing her first one. It sucks. The moment I noticed it I knew it was yeast related. Most diaper rashes are. It's bright red and raised. It started off patchy. So right away I upped my intake of Acidophilus to 4 capsules a day from 2 and I break open a capsule and give Adelaide the powder inside with some food or water once in the morning and once in the evening. I was using Penaten Cream at first but surprisingly that didn't work. A friend of mine got me a jar of Sudocrem and that seems to be working and giving Bug some relief. We also spend the day naked which gives us plenty of opportunities to use the potty. And at night I put her cloth diaper on really loose so moisture doesn't get trapped. Hopefully it won't be around that much longer. For more info on how to get rid of a yeast rash click HERE.

Now that Adelaide is sitting up and rolling over and pulling herself to stand I have to start baby proofing because it won't be long before she's on the go and into everything she shouldn't be. This is when things start getting really fun! lol. This is when you lose that last bit of baby weight!

Politics. The Ultimate Game.

2011-05-03T11:58:00.002-04:00

The question of the day is...How do we get people aged 18-29 to care enough to get off their butts and go and vote?! IF there was a way of voting online, I bet you'd see more participate. People don't realize HOW interesting and sorta fun politics are. And people don't realize the power they have. I know with the Canadian system not every vote matters, but as whole, it makes a difference. So you really need everyone to participate to make it work.
I couldn't care less about either of them until my husband came along! All I knew was what I learned from my parents which is, that all politicians lie so don't bother getting involved. And also what I learned from high school which was, it's all confusing and boring anyway.
I don't know about you guys, but when we learned about the Canadian Government in high school, it was terribly boring. Just read from a text book. Half the class was asleep at their desk. How is that supposed to make it interesting and how are you supposed to learn anything. My history class...well, man, that couldn't have been any more boring. History and politics go hand in hand. It really makes both more exciting when you put them together. If we could get ALL teachers to be passionate about what they are teaching, maybe we could get the youth to pay attention and want to stay updated on world issues instead of which which pop star is next in line to get plastic surgery and I can assure you, my teachers were not passionate. I mean, my Social Studies teacher was first and foremost a gym teacher, he wore his gym clothes to class, lol, and he was not passionate or very focused when teaching us Social Studies. This has a huge influence in shaping peoples political participation.
I also think that parents should encourage their kids. Start involving your 16 year old. Stay as bias as possible. I know it'll be hard, but give them the info, help them understand it and remember, when it comes time for them to vote, they may vote differently then you, but that's okay because as we can see as you get older your ideas and thoughts could be expired and with most of the votes being from 30+ year olds, that's how we ended up with a majority Conservative Government. But ya know, it's not ALL bad. Elizabeth May got her well deserved seat!

Teen Moms Shouldn't Be Glorified.

2011-04-28T13:36:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know that I just started my first period after having a baby and having gone 15 months without it, but this show "16 and Pregnant" angers the shit out of me!!! How could ANYONE think it's okay to make a shows called "16 and pregnant" and "Teen Mom" and be okay filming the trashiest and worst child parents parent this way!!??? And don't we have laws about child labour? These wee babies and toddlers are technically working, they are being filmed for TV! For money making purposes! How is it possible that there have been movies or shows or music videos or even songs that get banned from public, but THESE ones, yes THESE ones are a keeper?! This is outrageous!
http://ca.jezebel.com/5796167/did-16--pregnant-star-get-knocked-up-to-be-on-tv?skyline=true&s=i
I just can't believe that there are people out there who would glorify teen pregnancy. I don't have TV and I even know about these shows! I see and hear about them on the internet (that link is the perfect example.) I see these teens and their tots on the covers of magazines when I'm waiting to pay for groceries at the supermarket. These girls have been modelled the same way Lindsay Lohan is and Paris Hilton and Miss Spears. You're fooling yourself if you think this isn't glorifying it! I know they claim to show people the struggles that teen moms go through, but the fact that there are for sure girls out there that would get pregnant just for a chance to be on these shows tell me that the people behind these shows aren't doing their job. And what parent would LET their child BE ON these shows in the first place? Should I even bother asking, lol?! The problems in these children's lives, both the wee children and the teen children, are not problems to be aired on TV for the purpose of a reality TV show, ESPECIALLY when the consequences are so REAL! I hate television!!

Shop Handmade for Mom.

2011-04-20T00:14:00.004-04:00

I don't know if many of you shop online, but it's fun. I have the most fun browsing on Etsy. So many creative people with unbelievable creations! You can find anything! And if you can't, there will be someone there that can make it for you so you can bring your idea to life! And with Mother's Day around the corner, you'll probably wanna get your Mum something special and cool. So I have made a little treasury of fun things all handmade by people on etsy! CHECK IT OUT!

It features:
OldRags
calamaristudio
FA2u
ThongbaiTatong
SwitchDesignsNYC
vesselsandwares
walldecors
ThePlumGiraffe
TillyWhistle
RevivedVintage
NewMoonStudio
Nitscreations
BurlapAndBlue
MissGlory
spirocreations
fancyshop

This will be my first Mother's Day as a Mother. So it's pretty special. Though, I think it will be even more special when Adelaide is old enough to glue pieces of paper together and draw stick people and is able to write "I love you" as if I were trying to write it with my left hand.

Happy handmade shopping everyone!

Four Hundred Fans.

2011-04-14T20:36:00.007-04:00

Hey dear followers! After receiving some emails about doing a contest giveaway thingy on facebook, I decided, why not! So, when I reach 400 fans on my facebook page, I'll have a giveaway. I'll even do a wee giveaway right now as we climb our way to 400!! Com'mon! Spread the word and spread the love! Click HERE to participate and get your chance to win a free needle felted cupcake! It's so easy!

Thanks!
Heather.

Heather Bays

Promote your Page too

5 Months.

2011-04-10T15:52:00.001-04:00

"You and Me". One of Bugs favourite songs. I have an Ipod Touch so a couple times a week when we're laying in bed in the morning, I'll play a some youtube videos for her. This song is a good one to play when she's a little cranky. She calms down almost instantly.
And, "I Love My Hair" makes Bug smile and giggle. It's a great song.

I love Sesame Street!
http://www.sesamestreet.org/
We don't have cable or anything and we don't really watch the TV unless we watch a boxset and that only happens when Bugs in bed at night. (Right now we're finishing up Battlestar Galactica, the newer series!) So she rarely gets exposed to TV except when we watch a couple videos here and there on the ITouch or when we get together with friends some Saturdays to watch Hockey Night in Canada. She LOVES hockey! I am not sure how I feel about TV, but it's obvious to me that if she was to be exposed to the Tube, then only watch very small doses. And of course be careful what you expose their wee minds to. For instance...when I first started showing Bug the video clips on YouTube, we watched a couple Baby Einstein videos I found...she was enthralled, but they were boring. So I searched for a variety of them. Here's one we watched:

It was at about 2:43 when I realized that this really wasn't for kids. And the title didn't say "not for kids" at that time. But from the beginning of the video I was a little weirded out. Oops, lol.
Anyway, five months is fun. She's "talking" more, her vocabulary is quite something! She has learned to scream and will just do it because she can. She thinks it's funny. I hope this ends soon, lol. She's so giggly and really fun to interact with! She's a really tiny person with likes and dislikes. She is SO close to sitting up on her own. And she just wants to stand and jump all the time. She can roll over to one side only with a disposable diaper on because the cloth diapers are a bit bulkier, ha ha ha. Two teeth are about to make their debut any day now! And as of 2 days ago, we introduced her to food. Rice cereal, apples and breast milk. She seems to love it.

We decided it was time because she was waking more frequently at night time for milk. Like 5 times a night! Now she wakes up for 2 or 3 quick top ups between 7pm and 8am. Much better. Now I am excited for her to get to eat what we eat. Since we have the Cadillac of all food processors we'll be making our own baby food! I am thinking about getting a table at a farmers market this summer so I can sell jars of it, along with all the baby attire I make! I'll keep you posted!

Homemade Ice Cream Cakes

2011-04-05T13:31:00.003-04:00

I previously posted a recipe for brownie chunk ice cream, and since then I have mastered a recipe. I thought I knew how to make ice cream then...but I didn't...now I do!! So now that I have learned how to make the best ice cream in the world, I decided to make the best dessert in the world...ICE CREAM CAKE! These are honestly SO incredible, and since I make it from scratch, I know exactly what's in it!

Here's photos that I took of the 2 cakes I made as I was making them. One has a chocolate bottom and a vanilla top and the other has a vanilla bottom and a chocolate top. Both have crumbled Oreo cookies and chocolate fudge in the middle. I will be making another one in a couple weeks that will have homemade brownie chunks instead of Oreo cookies. Mmmmmmm!

Four Months.

2011-03-10T13:29:00.007-05:00

This is rather unbelievable to me, but Adelaide is 4 months old today. The time is going scary fast. It's incredible watching a tiny human learn the simplest of things. When she does something new, I lose my shit over it. I get SO excited for her, and she often looks at me like I'm crazy, ha ha ha.

A few weeks ago I feel like we entered a stage of double time. Like, she is learning SO fast. Everyday I feel like she does something new. She's really becoming a person with likes and dislikes. Who interacts with the world around her. You can really see her learning right before your eyes. And just as you get used to your routine, wham, she switches it up because she's either growing, or teething, or over stimulated, or god knows what!! It's fun and sometimes not so fun, lol.

We had a few hard days last week as Bugs teething worsened. She woke up screaming in the night some nights. She was tired but in too much pain to sleep, she was hungry but it hurt to suck. I felt badly for her. I didn't want to introduce her to medicine like Tylenol. But then my sister recommended Camilia which my cousin Fiona had recommended to her. Seriously this stuff is MAGICAL!!! It works so fast. It's a homoeopathic non-numbing pain reliever and there's no alcohol, sugar, coloring, flavoring or preservatives! They also have other products for colds, flus, and colic. Anyway, it's great that we got this stuff when we did because her drooling has gotten crazier, her gums are redder and her cheeks are a bit bigger and often rosey, she grabs her hair by her ear when she's in pain, and just cries. So, we are for sure on the journey to getting teeth...(my poor nipples, lol.)

She has been a rather chatty Cathy lately. I love talking to her when she babbles. She'll laugh at herself. I mean, she's hilarious, and she knows it! She also seems to yell at me sometimes. I try not to laugh, ya know, maybe I took too long getting to her for whatever reason (maybe I was in the bath) and she'll have a right go at me, lol.

She is well on her way to sitting up! I put a pillow behind her and she plays with her toys or her toes...which is something she has just discovered. As she reaches for her toes, she often loses her balance and starts to fall to one side...don't worry, I'm always there to catch her.

And her toys! About 3 weeks ago she started showing interest in her toys, but now she really interacts with them. This all such great news because I can sit there with her and crochet and talk to her while we listen to music as she independently plays and chews on her toys while occasionally chatting back to me.

Breastfeeding is a cinch now! We usually lay down so I have 2 free hands so I can read while she feeds, but of course sometimes we just chat. I was wondering how much she ate, so I quickly figured that in a 24 hour period she eats about 10 to 12 times and I think she takes about 4 or 5 ounces per feed, which means my body is most likely producing about 40 to 60 ounces of milk a day! Eeep! This whole experience has just made me really feel and understand that I am an animal, a mammal, and it's just incredible.

It's just this whole new level of love that I never knew existed until she got here...I honestly CAN'T imagine my life without her. My pal Andrea said it well when she was talking about her wee one (Willa is almost 2 months old.) She said, "Feels like I've always known her, like she's always been here." And yes, that's exactly how I feel too.

Homemade Brownies & Vanilla Ice Cream = Love.

2011-03-06T09:24:00.011-05:00

Brownies and vanilla ice cream, put together to make the ultimate desert! BROWNIE CHUNK ICE CREAM!!! I make these brownies all the time, and I make vanilla ice cream occasionally and the other day I made both and put them together.

We'll start with making the brownies! They're easy and seriously some of the BEST brownies I've ever had! For reeeaaalz people! I will even give you a great icing recipe for them just in case you wanna make just brownies (which is written at the bottom of this post, so scroll down.)

BROWNIES

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), then grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

You'll need:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Now melt your butter in a medium to large size pot. Once it's melted remove the pot from the element. Now stir in the sugar, vanilla and eggs.

Then mix in the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder.

Pour batter in to the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Do not over bake. If you're just making the brownies and would like icing on them, the recipe is at the end of the post, so scroll down!

ICE CREAM

Now it's time to make ice cream! This is a simple vanilla ice cream recipe. You can use an electric machine or a basic hand churning one. I'm gonna give instructions for the electric one since that's what I'm using.

You'll need:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/8 cups white sugar
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Pour the milk and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until the sugar dissolves. Then mix in heavy cream and vanilla.

Turn on the machine and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, which will take about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on your machine.

While that's churning, cut up your brownie in to little chunks.

When the ice cream thickens, add the brownies.

You might have to stir in the rest!

DELICIOUS!

You can serve it up and eat it right away, or if you prefer it to be firmer, put it in an airtight container and in to the freezer until you can't wait any longer!!!! Mmmmmmmmm!

ICING
If you're just making brownies, here's how you make the icing.

You'll need:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar

Put the butter, cocoa, honey, vanilla, and confectioners sugar in a bowl and mix it till it's well blended. Spread on top of the brownies while they're still warm. Oooooooiiiiiiieeeeee!!!

Weirdly Cute.

2011-03-01T15:11:00.005-05:00

I started making these super weird baby rattles, lol. I can't tell you how much I LOVE them. More importantly, I can't tell you how much my baby girl LOVES hers. Well, I guess you can see from the photo above! The first one I made was obviously for her, it's a cthulhu. She chews and slobbers on that thing like a cat with catnip, lol. It's hilarious. So far I have 3 different ones, but I assure you, there's more to come.

Cthulhu Love.

Miss Medusa.

Brobot Robot.

These rattles are an eco-friendly, all natural cotton baby toy that's stuffed with 100% wool and rattles with popcorn kernels inside a reused plastic container, such as a pill bottle, or kinder surprise toy casing.
The best thing for a teething baby is a cold wet cloth. Well, this is a much more fun cloth! Wetting and freezing her snakey hair makes it perfect for babies to chew on to sooth those sore gums. My daughter LOVES hers, they're light and soft and easy to hold.

Come see what's available in my shops:
www.heatherbays.etsy.com
or
www.heatherbays.artfire.com
If you don't see the one you want, just email me and I will make it for you!
heatherbays@gmail.com
Stay tuned for zombies and such...

Farewell Dear Squishy!

2011-02-17T15:08:00.001-05:00

Our little Squishy (formerly known as Shere Khan) is moving in with his girlfriend. It's sort of an arranged girlfriend since he's never met her yet, but I think he's pretty excited. He gets picked up tomorrow. We are sad but it's for the best.

Moving from our big apartment in Winnipeg to a smaller place in Toronto and adding a baby to the mix has made things difficult. Three cats, one baby and two adults in a small place is, well, squishy, lol. We'll keep our other 2 cats for the time being and see how that goes, but we may need to find better homes for them too.

For now, the cat that was once a kitten that we intended to find a home for in the first place will now be moving. I'm both happy and sad but so thankful he's going to a good home, it makes the guilt less intense! Have a good life little Squish. We'll miss you. xoxoxoxox.

Cloth Diapering Mum!

2011-02-11T15:53:00.004-05:00

We have gone cloth! Yep! The best decision ever. We ordered a bunch of AMP diapers after much research, trying to decide how I wanted my cloth diapering system to work. Thanks to our families and a dear friends Mum (one of the coolest Mum's around) we had enough money to buy them which makes this the ultimate gift. We have been using them for almost 2 weeks now and it's SUPER easy and I just LOVE the diapers, they leak far less then disposables and are WAY cuter and so fashionable, lol. Seriously, check out the colours!!

We ordered 20 bamboo inserts, 5 of each size of the microfibre inserts, and 21 of the one size pocket diapers in all different colours that fit babies from 7lbs to 35lbs. I cut up a bunch of soft cotton fabric in squares about the size of my hand to use and wiping cloths. I have a spray bottle and I filled it with water, olive oil, vinegar and baby soap.

I got the recipe from the AMP diapers site:
2 Cups of previously boiled water
1 Tbsp of baby shampoo or baby wash
1 tsp of cooking oil or baby oil (we prefer cooking oil such as canola or olive oil)
1 Tbsp Vinegar (anti fungal)
Pour over wipes in an old wipe container or a similar plastic container of your choice.

Cloth diapers are much easier then I imagined. With what I ordered it seems I can go 4 or 5 days before having to do laundry. My system is something like this...I will fold a bamboo inserts in 3 on the short side (they are rectangular) and lay it on the diaper, this way when I change her I can reuse the diaper if it's not soiled and just throw the soiled insert in the diaper pail bag. And sometimes I will stuff the diaper with a microfibre insert if we'll be playing or going out because they seem really soft and cushy that way and it's much easier and quicker to deal with when you're out...you just throw your diaper in the wet bag instead of the garbage. Here's a short video:

When it comes to laundry day, I just throw both of the pail liner bags in to the front loader and do a cold rinse and then add 1/8 of a teaspoon of Allen's natural laundry soap and do a hot wash. Then I throw the clean diapers in the dryer with 2 clean dry towels (to shorten drying time.) Ta-da! That's it. It sure beats going to the shops and spending like $20 a week on a pack of diapers and lugging them home, only to collect bags of dirty diapers which then end up in the garbage.

These specific diapers will fit Adelaide for her whole diapering life and if we decide to have more babies, we can use them on them too! My opinion after just 2 weeks is obviously grand, but I will do another review in the near future as an update letting you know how things are going with them. But I seriously can't imagine ever going back to disposables!

Coconut Crepes.

2011-02-04T13:51:00.011-05:00

Coconut crepes are something I fell in love with in Goa. I ate them on the beach like everyday! These are pretty inexpensive fruits and if you use the mature coconuts it's a great source of protein! With a little google searching, I discovered that coconuts are very beneficial for you! They:
   Help you lose weight, or maintain your already good weight
   Reduce the risk of heart disease
   Lower your cholesterol
   Improve conditions in those with diabetes and chronic fatigue
   Improve Crohn’s, IBS, and other digestive disorders
   Prevent other disease and routine illness with its powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents
   Increase metabolism and promotes healthy thyroid function
   Boost your daily energy
   Rejuvenate your skin and prevent wrinkles

Now that the weekend is here, it's the perfect time to whip up some coconut crepes! My crepe recipe is my Mum's which is a bit of this and a bit of that, lol. It's a great recipe for gluten free crepes too, just use rice flour!
In a large bowl mix:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
some salt
some sugar, if you want
some cinnamon, if you want
and add mushed bananas or other fruits you love, if you want!
Once it's all mixed, just pour some into the middle of a hot frying pan and tilt the frying pan in circular motions to spread out the mixture to make it big and round and thin. They take little time on each side, but fry them until they're done just the way you like it! When each crepe is done I stack them on a plate inside a warm oven until there's no more mixture left.

While you're frying these up, break open your coconut and take out the meat. And then grate it all in to bits.

And then it's time to eat! Put some coconut into the middle of the crepe with syrup or honey.

Roll it up and top with more coconut and syrup or honey. ENJOY!!!

One Year Ago.

2011-01-27T17:49:00.002-05:00

One year ago today we were boarding a plane for one of the most amazing trips of my life. We were headed to INDIA!! If you want to read about it, I did blog about our experience as we traveled, updating with photos from our point and shoot camera. Here are the links in order:

Mumbai

Gujarat
From Gujarat to Uttar Pradesh
From Agra to Paradise in Rishikesh
Happy Holi!
From Jungle to Jungle
I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts!

Please come look at all my favourite photos from the trip:

Part 1
Part 2

Here's just a taste...

ps: all the animals photographed here are wild! If you read the blog entries I tell you all about the times in the jungle!

I Heart Whole Wheat Bread.

2011-01-23T01:33:00.017-05:00

On Christmas I received bread pans! Three in fact. Perfect! Since being back in Toronto I have been sort of obsessed over baking bread. There's many reasons why you should bake your own bread.
1. It's cheap
2. It's easy
3. It's healthy or healthier
4. Fresh baked bread tastes incredible
5. The smell! To have your whole place smell like a bakery is just THE BEST!!!

I was under the impression that making your own bread was rather difficult and time consuming, when in fact, it's the opposite. I know that it takes anywhere between 1 hour to like 5 days to make a loaf of bread, but there's very little work involved. Most of the time is spent unattended. I also discovered how a food processor is the best for making the dough in. Seriously, food processors are incredible. Over the past few weeks I have made white breads, whole wheat breads and cinnamon raisin breads. My fave...the whole wheat. It's plain, I know, but oh so useful. Fresh out of the oven you could lather it in butter and jam, or even just butter. Or garlic and butter and eat with pasta! Have it for breakfast lunch or with supper. Mmmmmmm. Anyway, you get what I'm saying. It's also the one I have mastered. So from here, I will branch out making different kinds involving seeds and flax and oats and who knows what else...maybe poppy seeds?! And as I master other types, I will post the recipes as well.

Okay so what you're gonna need is:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons (or a bit more) honey
2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1 to 1 1/3 cups warm milk

Now place flour, salt and yeast in the food processor. Mix for about 10 seconds. Then while the food processor is still mixing, put down the shoot the butter, honey and milk. Then mix for another 30 to 40 seconds. The dough should be barely sticky. If it's too dry, add milk about a tablespoon at a time and then mix for another 10 seconds...or add flour if it's too dry (very unlikely). Now take it out and knead it for a few minutes. Grease a large bowl with oil or butter. Shape the dough in to a ball and then place in the greased bowl.

Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place the bowl in a warmish place...maybe need a radiator or heat vent. Let the dough rise for 6-12 hours.

Then deflate the ball of dough and reform back into a ball and let sit on a lightly floured counter top for 15-20 minutes.

From there, pat down the dough into a rectangle shape.

Place in a oiled or buttered bread pan and pat down with the back of your hand.

Then cover with a damp towel and let sit for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the top of the loaf lightly with water. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. It's done when if you tap the bottom of the pan it sounds hollow. Remove from heat and cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes or more before you eat the best bread ever.

This is a very forgiving recipe, so if you want to let it rise longer at either rising point, go ahead, or if you don't have time to let it rise so long, don't worry. Just remember, the longer it rises, the more flavourful and fluffy it will be. If you want to let it slow rise for up to 5 days, just put it in the fridge.
Good luck!

Life.

2011-01-18T02:49:00.025-05:00

Isn't this a great photo taken by my husband?
We've been home (Toronto) from home (Winnipeg) for over 2 weeks now and it feels like forever ago. Maybe because so many things have happened in this time (some good friends had their baby, there was an adoption in the family, we had a battle with Wynn Family Properties because we had no heat - btw NEVER rent from this company) and Adelaide has grown significantly and has learned so much! As of January 5th, she was 10 pounds, so I am sure she's well in to her 11th going on 12th pound. It's incredible how fast she grows out of clothes. She'll wear it one day and then by the time I do laundry and she goes to wear it again...it's too small.

Since we've been home Adelaide has put herself on a schedule. I just followed her lead. I demand feed of course and let her sleep as much or as little as she wants. It's so amazing having a bit of routine and completely effortlessly on my part. She takes 3 or 4 naps a day and sleeps through the night!! Like she goes to bed at 9:30ish and sleeps until noon the next day, waking up 2 or 3 times very briefly for a top up! Since we have a family bed and I breastfeed, I just pull her closer to me so it's completely effortless.

During the day I play music all day and have the curtains open so it's bright and sunny and I go on with my day making noise as I need to and she sleeps through it all. Here's me folding laundry as she naps.
But at night time I close the door and turn off the lights. I've been consistent with this from the beginning so she could differentiate between night and day. I thought going out would be difficult with the schedule she likes, but she's just so flexible. When we go out she just carries on with her thing, sometimes feeds or socializes or sleeps, and then when it's time to go home, she falls asleep in her baby carrier and we just put her in to bed when we get home and she carries on sleeping until the morning. I cannot believe how delightful she is. I feel like somethings gonna change soon...right? Either way, I am so enjoying this. So content and rarely fussy.

I can't believe almost 10 weeks have past since she was born. I feel so much more confident now and things just come naturally. I am so loving being a Mum! My day is spent cleaning, playing, reading and baking bread. I accomplish this while she's napping and thanks to my cousin Fiona who lent us her Over the Shoulder Baby Holder sling, I can get things done AND hold baby at the same time.

Sometimes she sits in this bouncy chair that we got from my parents and she watches me bake as she cheers me on.

She's so strong now too! She loves standing and sitting. She has such great neck support and control.

She shows more interest in toys too, so I made a little play area which we hang out in several times a day.

It's just incredible HOW fast she's become this little person who's so full of emotions! When she cries there's real tears and when she smiles or squeals it's not followed by a fart or poop!

The smiles are so incredible though, one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, (and I'm pretty well traveled so I've seen a lot of things, lol.)

Heather Bays | Promote your Page too

Egg Nog Ice Cream

2011-01-12T23:51:00.016-05:00

It's the end of egg nog season and the last of the egg nog is on the shelves most likely at a reduced price because the expiration date is coming up VERY soon. Well, if you love egg nog like I do, preserve it just a little bit longer! Make ice cream!! I don't know if you own an ice cream maker, but I feel like a kitchen isn't complete without one, lol.

Here's my recipe:
3 cups egg nog (the good creamy fatty rich stuff, none of this low fat shit)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp real vanilla extract
3/4 cups granulated sugar

In a medium bowl combine the milk and sugar and mix on low with an electric mixer. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla.

Turn the machine on and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and let mix until thickened...about 25 minutes, but this can vary depending on your machine.

If when done mixing you would prefer it firmer, then transfer the ice cream to an air tight freezer friendly container and freeze for a couple hours.

Top with cinnamon and ENJOY!!!!

Elegant Baby.

2010-12-10T16:33:00.010-05:00

Handmade crocheted vintage style baby hats by ME!!
Available at:
http://www.heatherbays.etsy.com
and
http://www.heatherbays.artfire.com

My Normal.

2010-12-02T13:21:00.015-05:00

Adelaide is already 3 weeks old. On one hand I feel the time has flown by, but on the other, it seems so slow. Weird. My life has definitely changed for the better...but ask me in the middle of the night when I am up breastfeeding a baby who doesn't want to go back to sleep...I may have a different answer for you, lol. My bedside table has taken on a different look. No more crosswords, wii remotes, empty cans of cola and craft supplies. Just diapers, wipes, gripe water and anything else I may need at hand in the middle of the night to sooth an upset baby.

Bug sleeps with us, mostly in our bed. I have a bassinet next to the bed that she usually starts off in, but then by morning she's curled up in bed with us. I have become a master of breastfeeding. I can now do it laying down so in the middle of the night I don't feel like my sleep is really disturbed. Thank god I don't have to worry about getting up to prepare and heat bottles, I am sure I would feel way more sleep deprived. Over the past 3 weeks I have learned a lot about breastfeeding, which means I have learned a lot about baby poo, lol. At first I thought breastfeeding was gonna be a breeze, and then her poo was green, which I thought was due to a belly ache, so I started omitting things from my diet that may not be agreeing with her brand new digestive system. After eliminating the common things (citrus, broccoli, spicy food) I was starting to think it was a milk allergy. If you know me well, you'll know that dairy is my favourite food group. What would I do without ice cream? So before I went ahead an rid of that, I did more research. I learned that there is foremilk and hindmilk and the foremilk is lighter and good for brain development and the hindmilk is darker, heavier and fattier which is good for growth. Some people produce too much foremilk causing the baby to get full and feed little but often. A sign that she has too much foremilk will be green poo. Ah ha! So, I started just feeding from one boob each feed instead of switching it up. It worked! Her poo is mostly back to a yellow curry like colour. If you are having trouble breastfeeding, don't give up! Research it. More often then not, it's either an allergy, a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance or it's normal for your baby.
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/baby-poop.shtml

Being a new parent is kinda worrisome. Every little thing she does I wonder if it's normal. But I have learned that babies are very resilient and most things are normal. So I should stop worrying so much. These past few days I have decided to just go with the flow because although new babies are a lot of work, they're quite simple really. They cry because that's their only way of communicating. It either means they're hungry (usually means this) or their diaper needs changed or their tired or have gas, (unless your baby suffers from colic.) Needless to say, at our past midwife appointment, which was 2 days ago, Adelaide weighed 6lbs 7oz...so I must be doing something right, lol.

We have introduced her to a soother since she started sucking her thumb and was using my boob as a pacifier...not sucking, just holding the nipple in her mouth as she fell asleep...not cool when this happened in the middle of the night! I was worried about nipple confusion, but it did no such thing. She loves her soother as she's going to sleep which means I love it too! I also read that it reduces the chance of SIDS. The way I see it, you can throw out a soother, but you can't throw away a thumb! So I was sold!

Cherpumple Pie Cake!

2010-11-24T13:07:00.011-05:00

Last night we had a lil' dinner party with our friends as we do every week. Only this time I wanted to make something epic for dessert because they have been extraordinarily helpful over the past couple weeks since we had a baby! I remembered this video I watched online a while back about the Cherpumple pie cake. Here is that video. If this doesn't make you wanna make this cake pie, then I don't know what will!

Here is my attempt at it. I altered it a little bit. My bottom layer was apple pie baked in a spice cake.

The second layer was strawberry rhubarb pie baked in a chocolate cake, and the top was pecan pie baked in a white cake.

I stacked all three layers on top of each other separating them with cream cheese icing.

Then I frosted the sides and sprinkled some cocoa on top just to make it look...nicer?! lol.

Turns out I'm not very good at icing cakes! We cut in to the cake and it was messy!!

A piece of cake was like 3 pieces and after a couple bites I was certain I had given myself and our guests diabetes!

Needless to say, I learned a lot about making this ridiculous cake and know what I would do differently next time...but I don't think there's gonna be a next time.

Adelaide Dorothy Von Bargen

2010-11-21T14:28:00.036-05:00

It's a new world...for Julian and I. On November 10th we gave birth to our baby girl right here at home in our Toronto apartment. It was an amazing and surreal experience. It was everything I wanted...except we didn't have the birthing pool because it hadn't been delivered and set up yet. We were to get it the following week. I was sure Adelaide would come later rather then sooner, but she proved us wrong. I am so glad she came when she did because had I gone in to labour just 2 days earlier, I would have had to go to the hospital because I technically wouldn't have been "full-term". Here is my story:
On November 9th in the evening I started feeling like I was getting the flu. I was experiencing some menstrual-like cramps as well. I didn't take much notice because many women feel these cramps weeks before they actually go into labour. As the night went on they started to actually hurt but they weren't happening very close together, it was just randomly. By about 1am I thought I would maybe time them as they seemed to happen more often. They were still minor cramps that were about 7-10 minutes apart and lasted like 20 to 30 seconds. They were making me more uncomfortable then usual but I tried not to take any notice because I knew there were things that still needed to happen before I went in to labour, like losing my mucous plug and I still didn't feel like I had that "nesting" urge. In fact, my place was kind of a disaster. I suppose I had been baking and crocheting more the usual over the weeks leading up to that day, but still, was that "nesting"? At about 3:30am I had to pee, so I went pee and noticed a wee bit of blood on the toilet paper. I looked in the toilet and there was this gross weird thing that came out of me. I wondered if that was my mucous plug. So, I got on the internet and googled it. Of course there were images, lol. And those images definitely resembled what fell in the toilet. Oh boy, I started getting a little nervous. We were SO unprepared. We hadn't gotten anything on the list the midwife told us to have. We didn't even have diapers. The babies stuff was still in boxes and the place was a mess. I did some reading and read that some women lose there plug up to 2 weeks before they actually go in to labour. So, I calmed down and decided to get some rest. I slept for a few hours and woke up at 7am with my husband. He was getting ready for school and I told him all about my night and what happened because he was sleeping while I was going through that. He wondered if he should stay home. I told him not to worry and just go to school. I was convinced I wouldn't go in to labour for a while still. This was our first baby which means it will most likely be late, right? So, after getting his stuff together, off he went. I had a google chat date with one of my best pals back in Winnipeg. We must have been chatting for 20 minutes when all of a sudden these minor cramps I was still getting that were about 30 seconds long and about 7 minutes apart got pretty intense. She told me to call my midwife and I said I was fine and it wasn't a big deal because they weren't super intense and they weren't 5 minutes apart yet. Not long after that I was on the ground breathing through the pain of them and they were getting stronger and stronger. So I called the midwife. She told me to only count the intense ones and when they were 5 minutes apart to call her back. I asked her if I should alert my Mum as she wanted to be at the birth and she was in Winnipeg and would need to jump on a plane. She told me that now would definitely be a good time to notify her. (That's when I knew this was really going to happen.) So, I did. She packed her bags and headed to the airport to get a flight ASAP. Mean while I was still on google chat with Meghan who was luckily keeping track of my contractions. When they got worse and closer I contacted the midwife again and she said she was on her way. Meghan had our friend Sheena text Julian at school to get him to come home. He was just arriving in class and settling in when he got the text. So, he informed the prof and headed back home. In the 50 minutes it took him to get home my contractions had multiplied in pain to the point where I was most comfortable on all fours swaying my hips. When the contractions would stop, I would pace up and down my apartment as I talked to Meghan on google and was encouraged through phone calls from my cousin Fiona, my sister Christine, my brother Mike, and my Mum, (sorry if I missed anyone, it was a blurry day.) Thank you all for the support. Not long after Julian got home, the midwife showed up. She checked me and sure enough, I was 3cm dilated. She said because everything seemed to be moving fast that she would stay and see what happened. My midwife, Aimee was a god sent. She was so cool and calm and made me feel so comfortable. She pretty much stayed out of mine and Julian's way and just let us do what came naturally. She would remind me to breathe deep and hard when I felt I couldn't go on. She would make suggestions when it seemed I was struggling. Because the labour was so quick it was SO SO intense and I couldn't build up a tolerance. But ya know, it wasn't AS bad as I thought it would be. It really wasn't. Women are AMAZING!!!! At times I would close my eyes and breathe and make noises I never thought I could make, lol and I would find strength by thinking about all the other women in the world who was doing what I was doing at that very same moment. I personally found that being on all fours in my bathtub while Julian applied pressure to my lower back as I swayed my hips, the best way of getting through all the contractions. In between contractions I had some moments and I would lean against the wall and start falling asleep and then all of a sudden another one came and what I thought was a dream for a moment became very real again! I was in the tub when my water broke. When it finally broke I felt SUCH a release of pressure and it felt so good. But then all of a sudden I just needed to push! I couldn't help it, my body just naturally pushed when I had a contraction. Amiee recommended I get out of the bath and on to my bed to push because the bathroom was so cramped. So I slowly got out and made my way to the shower curtain that Julian took down from the bathroom and placed on the bed. She had me lay on my left side and told me to breathe through 3 contractions without pushing. It was SO SO SO hard not to push. Then she had me roll on my right side and do the same, only this time I just couldn't help it and when the first contraction hit I just pushed. It was so intense I can't even describe it. As the head was coming out Julian just lost it and I have never seen him SO excited in all my life, lol. She told me to make sure I didn't push for the next contraction and Julian breathed hard with me (like hee hee hee hee hee) it was one of the hardest moments through the whole labour. Part way through that contraction I screamed bloody murder ha ha ha...and I tore a bit...OUCH! (I now understand why they call it "the ring of fire".) But then a couple more pushes and all of a sudden this purpley blue thing covered in gunk was thrown on my body and I was actually in shock for a few minutes. She started crying and Julian was just laughing and saying oh my god. I will never forget that moment (obviously.)

It was 4:48pm when Adelaide was born and she was 48 cm long weighing 5lbs 13oz. A friend of ours said, "5lbs of baby and 13oz of hair", lol. I just knew she had a head of hair. I had terrible heartburn through my pregnancy, especially the last trimester. I love her hair, it's so soft and fluffy.

Because my hemoglobin levels were low to begin with and the labour was so fast the midwife shot a needle of something in my thigh. She said my tear wasn't very bad and as long as I promised to stay in bed for 5 days with my legs together then I didn't need stitches. So I opted for that because the idea of 4 stitches in my hoo-ha sounded worse then the birth, lol.

Eleven days have past already and I am doing much better! Healed up nicely! The first few days were painful and gross, lol. But everyday after that gets easier.
It took us a few days to name our daughter. We had a list of like 20 names we liked and hoped that when she was born, one of them would just stand out. But nope. None. My cousin Fiona informed me that our grandmother (on my Mum's side) who we have never met because she passed away when my Mum was only 8 years old, would have celebrated her birthday on November 10th! Her name was Dorothy. And Adelaide was a random name we saw on the internet and both really liked. We couldn't decide if she would be Dorothy Adelaide or Adelaide Dorothy. But she just looked like an Adelaide. So on Monday November 15th, we made it official. Because for 5 days she didn't have a name and she was so tiny, we called her "Bug" and I am sure that nickname will stick forever. You can see in this photo that she wears that nickname well. How adorable.

She is so tiny. All the newborn clothes that we thought were so tiny don't even fit her. She drowns in all her clothes, lol. I am sure that won't be for long. She is doing VERY well. She is very calm and content. Nights have been great. She feeds every 3 hours on average, so I go to bed around 1am after feeding and changing and then she wakes around 4 for another feeding and changing and then again at 7 and then we sleep until about 9:30-10, so I feel pretty rested. I would say the hardest part is dealing with the gas. Burping her can sometimes be challenging, but i am getting the hang of it. I love how gas makes them smile, lol. It's so adorable. She has the cutest dimples!

Adelaide caught on to the boob after a bit of effort, but once she latched she became a pro. It was awkward at first, I had to find a good position for us and everyday I get better. Breastfeeding is magical. I really don't know why women who CAN breastfeed choose not to because seriously, the bonding that goes on is wicked. Not to mention how GYNORMOUS my boobs are!! (Man, people pay a lot of money to have boobs this big and hard, lol) I also couldn't imagine having to get up and prepare bottles and warm them. Sounds like a lot more work. And also the fact that your body bounces back faster if you breastfeed is really a good enough reason for me! I can't believe how fast my stomach disappeared. A few sit ups here and there and I will be right back to normal. I am already back in my pre-pregnancy jeans! YES!

Sadly, since my labour and delivery was short, my Mum wasn't able to get here in time. She arrived at 11pm that night, but was so helpful! She took care of us as we adjusted for the first week. It was wonderful to have her here for those days because I was bed ridden and a little clueless. She gave me great tips and advice and boosted my confidence so that when she left I knew I could do it.

She cooked, cleaned, did laundry and helped with Bug. She is the master burper, so she tried teaching me and I've gotten pretty good, and will get better.

Our friends were so ridiculously helpful and generous. They came over and brought heaps of gifts and food so we wouldn't have to cook and could concentrate on baby! The gifts were beautiful and the food was and is so delicious. We feel SO loved. Julian's Mum was also here over this weekend to meet her first grandchild. She was amazing as well. Made pizza, cinnamon buns and other food! She restocked our cupboards and bought enough diapers to last us 'til we go home to Winnipeg which is when we'll stock up on AMP diapers. She is still under 6 pounds and AMP diapers suggest your baby is at least 7lbs otherwise they won't fit properly. So at the moment she is wearing preemie diapers. Oh so little.

Adelaide has the cutest lil' gas smiles.

She also has adorable elf ears, that are unfortunately starting to look less elf like.

When she's waking up and stretches, she makes the sweetest kissy face.

And she looks so amazed as she's discovering her hands.

This little girl is blowing my mind. I'm in awe every moment of everyday. We left the apartment for the first time yesterday and went for a walk to the grocery shop.

The world really is a different place!!

Full Term...We Made It!

2010-11-08T16:22:00.016-05:00

We made it! Today I am full term...37 weeks, which means baby can come at any time! Since I am planning a home birth, this is fantastic news, because had I gone in to labour any earlier then this, I would have had to go to the hospital. So, phew! She is still in. I don't think she'll be making her debut anytime soon, but you never know. We still have 3 more weeks to wait until the actual due date. But if she decides to come before the 29th, I will be THRILLED! I am ready to have this baby out of me and in our lives. Well, not really yet, lol. The birthing pool hasn't been delivered, I haven't unpacked much of her stuff, and I don't have any disposable diapers, just cloth at the moment. So I would like to get a pack of disposables so I won't have to do laundry in the first week while me and baby heal and rest! My midwife last measured me 2 days ago and she said I was measuring 2 cms on the small side. She said that doesn't mean much considering all women and babies are different. I have yet to find a stretch mark though, so that's great news. In the photo above I have placed some clothes in the position that the baby is laying. I am getting more excited and more anxious and scared with every passing day. I know I can do this...I just don't want to...but I have to. There is no turning back. Once the actual labour and delivery is over I will be relieved. Keep your eye on the prize right, lol!
Julians' Grandma Bargen sent us a parcel with some baby things like socks, a book, some of her yummy cookies and some cloth diapers along with the AMAZING blanket she made for our baby! I am so in love with it. It's so soft!
This is the front.

And this is the back.

I have also pulled out some of her shoes that I started collecting when I found out I was pregnant. I just love baby shoes, they are too precious!

These 2 are my favourites. They are old european style shoes that cost me all of 50 cents! I got them from the MCC in Steinbach, Manitoba. I really love that place!

I continue to bake and crochet. I wish the cleaning part of "nesting" would kick in, LOL. Here are some more crocheted items I have made this week. Bah! They are so cute.
These are black booties with light pink vintage buttons for babies age 6-9 months.

These are milk chocolate brown booties with seafoam vintage buttons for babies age 3-6 months.

These are navy blue high top booties with brown ties for babies age 3-6 months.

These hats are so sweet and elegant! Vintage style crocheted baby hat for newborns to 3 months. Snow white with a red lace ribbon and bow!

And this one is red wine with a sage green ribbon and bow. This one I am keeping for myself and I will take some gorgeous photos of my baby in it when she gets here. She's gonna think her mother is a one-eyed robot because I am certain I won't be able to stop photographing her!

See what's available in my online stores.
http://www.heatherbays.etsy.com/
OR
http://www.heatherbays.artfire.com/
And remember, I take custom orders, so if you need a certain size or a specific colour, I can make it for you, just email me:
heatherbays@gmail.com

"Oh say, cute boots!"

2010-11-03T14:06:00.008-04:00

I was up VERY late last night learning a new crochet pattern. Sometimes I find that crocheting can be addictive...very addictive, especially when I learn a new pattern. It's exciting. So I say, when you are feeling inspired, no matter when that may be, take advantage of it.

I have 2 pairs of these warm boots available which you can find in both my online shops:
http://www.heatherbays.etsy.com/
OR
http://www.heatherbays.artfire.com/

They both measure 4 inches long, which is a size 2. They also have vintage decorative buttons on the sides from the button collection I inherited from my grandmother. Well, I gotta clean my place, then go grocery shopping (restock for baking, so stay tuned) and then I can return to crocheting! YES!

Oh Baby!!!

2010-10-29T13:09:00.015-04:00

I went to a rummage sale at the church at the end of our street last Saturday and found some pretty excellent wool! With one of the magnificent colours I found, I made these hot pink mary janes for a new baby!

They have seafoam coloured vintage buttons too! If these aren't sold by the time my baby arrives, then I think I might end up keeping them!

And of course I am still making baby/toddler leg warmers! These are super precious and are great for this time of year! These are a one size fits all sorta thing. These leg warmers will fit babies 6 months to children 3 years or older, depending on the size of the child. You can bunch them or wear them full length. They also fit on adults arms for arm warmers!

I have some available in both of my online shops but I also do custom orders if you are looking for a specific colour! So come to either my ETSY store or ARTFIRE store and see what's available! They are perfect for this time of year and would make a wonderful Christmas gift too. They will arrive gift ready just like the photo below, all nicely hand packaged!

Heather Bays | Promote your Page too

Baking With Warm Spices Makes You Feel Toasty.

2010-10-24T13:23:00.015-04:00

Last night I decided to bake a carrot cake as the rain started coming down outside making the autumn evening feel a little cooler. I love baking with warm smelling spices on cool days. Keeps you feeling toasty and comforted. I came across this recipe on Cat Can Cook and decided to try it. I doubled the recipe thinking I would make 2 cakes, but I really didn't need to double it...it made LOTS! Oh well, I am eating for two right? Ha ha ha!! I will have to freeze one which I am sure I will be thankful for later. Boy...I am starting to think I need a small deep freeze. We are running out of room in our fridge freezer.

You will need:
4 Eggs
1 Cup White Sugar (because I use organic cane sugar, I omitted about 1/4 cup)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
3 Cups Grated Raw Carrots
1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Nuts (optional – and omit if serving to small kids)
I also added about 1/3 cup sunflower seeds

Beat eggs well in a large bowl, and add sugars in gradually, beating until light. Beat in oil. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir into egg mixture. Stir in carrots, raisins and nuts and seeds (if using). Pour into a greased and floured 13X9 pan, and bake in a 350 degrees oven for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!

And then I topped my cake with a simple cinnamon butter cream icing.
D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!

Soups Up...Save Room for Dessert!

2010-10-18T15:10:00.017-04:00

Welcome to my cooking space! I spent a lot of time here last week cooking up a storm making soups to freeze for when baby gets here so we have fast nutritious meals when we need them! Of course I have also been making baked goods in between to fill my cravings!

I photographed some of the delicious foods I made last week! If you want any recipes just let me know and I will gladly pass them along if I have one for what you're looking for. Sometimes I make things up and don't follow recipes, lol. Don't drool too much while looking at these. I certainly had a hard time with the post, it made me very hungry!!

Apple Cinnamon French Toast

Roasted Cauliflower Cream Soup

Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Rice Pudding with Custard

Creamy Potato and Dill Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Apple Strudel Muffins

Our freezer is now full of delicious soups and I am sure I will add more. Julian boiled a bunch of beans and froze them yesterday too. We are rich with black beans and kidney beans perfect for chili's and he made re-fried beans and a black bean with tomatoes, onions and spices perfect for things like burritos!! If we keep this up, we'll need a deep freeze!

Natural vs Robots.

2010-10-14T13:12:00.008-04:00

I have reached 33 weeks! I haven't taken any new photos this week, but this photo is from last week. I have been busy with other things like making soups and freezing them to prepare for when time will be scarce with a new baby. I have been busy crocheting and visiting with family and friends. Just making a life here in a new big city. So far I am loving it. People are so kind in Toronto. This city is so well run. The transportation system is the next best thing to a teleporter! And most of all, I was able to get a midwife no problem. So, we are prepared/preparing for the big day which could come in as little as 4 weeks. I am "full-term" on November 8th, so anytime after that! Yikes.
I have pretty much finished that book 'Birthing From Within' and I think it was the most helpful out of all the books I have read. It made me feel so much better about a lot of things. Giving birth to a baby is something women have been doing since the beginning of time...but this is MY first time and it's kinda scary. This book helped me realize what I was so afraid of and it turns out, I was just afraid of the whole western birthing experience. Going to a hospital, being poked and prodded by random doctors or nurses, hoping there is a private room and if not, sharing your personal space at such a vulnerable time with complete strangers. Not having nearly as many choices, such as eating and drinking during labour, not having the option of birthing in a pool/tub, when to cut the chord, not forcing the placenta out, being pressured for drugs and possible interference with tools or even a C-Section so the doctor can get home in time for dinner. You become so limited. I know doctors are useful when it comes to birthing high risk babies, but if there is no risk, then why chance the hospital where most babies are born doped up on drugs. I suppose if that's where you feel most comfortable, then the hospital is a great choice for you, but why have an OB/GYN or doctor when you can have a Midwife?! Midwives are obviously HIGHLY educated and know more about normal natural births then a doctor. Some nurses have never even seen a natural birth! YIKES! So, though many people think I am "brave" for having a homebirth, I think women who birth in hospitals are brave. I certainly feel more at home and comfortable and safe in my own home.
I know that Canada and the USA are a little different, but they aren't THAT much different when it comes to birthing techniques. I watched the movie 'The Business of Being Born'. It's a little aggressive like "Sicko", but if you are expecting a baby or know someone that is expecting a baby, this is something that is worth your time!! Watch it on YouTube (if you can find it) or rent it or buy it. But watch it!!! Educating yourself on your rights and options is so worth your time so you can make your birthing experience a magical one instead of a terrifying stressful one. They bring up things like the domino effect of taking drugs for pain and how it can actually complicate your birth WAY more. They talk about unnecessary C-Sections. Did you know that in New York 1 out of 3 births are done by C-Section?! They have these things called "Designer Births" where you book yourself in around your due date (sometimes earlier if you don't wanna get too big to avoid stretch marks), then they induce you, slice you open, remove your baby who obviously wasn't ready to come out yet and then while they have you open on the table, they do a quick tummy tuck and ta-da! You have given birth to your beautiful baby. EFFING SICK!! It's just scary how far removed we are from our natural animalistic instincts. Have we forgotten that we are animals too? There is one doctor from Europe in the documentary who is passionate about natural births and he talks about "love hormones". These hormones are produced and released when pushing your baby out naturally. If you and your baby are drugged up, or if you have a surgical birth, your bodies natural abilities are blocked and confused. That being said, you are more likely to have a much harder time during postpartum with depression, healing and you increase the chance of infections. I understand that SOME people need drugs and interference to save their baby and/or themselves, but with something like 90% of our population taking part in these new birthing techniques, it seems crazy to me! I can't believe that some advice I have been given time and time again is "take the drugs!" What kind of advice is that? They say that "if you can give birth to a baby, then you can do anything"...well, does that apply to women who opt for a pain-free birth, or a "designer birth"? I guess maybe, but I will admit...I am less impressed. If you NEED it, that's one thing, but if you don't, why interfere with something that our bodies have been doing since the beginning of time? There are consequences. I wonder what will happen if we keep going down this path? In time maybe we'll have smaller pelvic bones because we won't be using them to birth anymore, or the complete loss of certain hormones or the ability to naturally go in to labour? Or maybe women will take back control of their own bodies!
I think the bottom line is...educate yourself, find out the pros and cons and have your baby where ever you feel comfortable and stress-free. Just know what you want so you don't get pressured in to something that's not right for you.

Oh Boy, 30 Weeks!!

2010-09-22T15:24:00.008-04:00

So, I have reached 30 weeks. I don't know where the time is going, but it is flying by. I can't believe that sometime in the next 8 to 12 weeks we will have a new person added to our family. It's so surreal for me sometimes. I am overjoyed and anxious and a little terrified...I imagine these are all normal feelings for first time parents. I have been raised around children and babies my whole life, so this should be no problem...but when it's YOUR OWN child, it's a little different. Sometimes I wonder if I know what I am going to do with this little person when she gets here. Obviously I will feed her, clothe her, love her, etc. But I've never been a mother before (other then to 3 spoiled cats) so as time is ticking closer and closer to that due date, I am trying to educate myself in the areas I lack confidence.
My husband and I start a couple prenatal classes at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto in October. I feel like they it might be full of obvious information, but hey, if anything, it will boost our confidence, and it will better prepare my husband who has never changed a diaper before.
I continue to read books on childbirth, preferably natural childbirth. I have been reading this blog too, which I find enjoyable.
I have found a midwife from Seven Generations and I have my first appointment coming up. We are going to go ahead with the plan to have a homebirth, but if our minds change and we decide that we're more comfortable in a birthing centre (oh how our society has put fear in us), Sunnybrook has just renovated and opened their new and improved birthing centre. So if you want a virtual tour of the place, click HERE. My midwife would be with me of course and a doctor can step in only if she feels it's necessary, but I am sure since everything has been running smoothly, everything will go just fine. I just have to trust myself, trust my body and of course have a great support system (which I have.)
I have such beautiful light in my new apartment in Toronto, so I had a fun photoshoot. It's important to me to document my pregnancy through photos. Maternity photos are some of my favourites to shoot. Before I was pregnant I thought pregnant ladies were SO cute and it was hard to understand how some people feel unattractive when their pregnant, but as I sit here with a large 3 pound eggplant sized baby in my belly, I completely understand. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable and unattractive, especially as I run out of clothes that fit properly, as all you other beautiful pregnant mama's have probably felt. My veins are more noticeable, I have what looks like cottage cheese growing on my butt and thighs and sometimes I get weird red bumps on my belly. But, when you look at maternity photos, man, pregnancy is a beautiful sexy thing. I have a collection of maternity photos here on my Facebook page, so become a fan and take a look!!
http://www.facebook.com/artist.heatherbays

Manitoba to Ontario to 3rd Trimester.

2010-09-07T14:56:00.010-04:00

Yikes, it's been over a month since my last post. What can I say, we were busy. We have packed up and moved out of Winnipeg. We will be moving in to our new apartment in Toronto this Friday, Sept 10th. I am excited about settling in a new place. Change is good. It's refreshing and inspiring. When you stay in the same place too long you become blind, so I am excited to see again!
For now, we are visiting my family in Rosseau. We drove for 2 days to get here, through Ontario around Lake Superior. What a beautiful drive. I would like to do that drive again but with more time so I can photograph the landscape and the wildlife. Since we had 3 cats in the car with us, we wanted to get to out destination ASAP. And having just started my 3rd trimester, I didn't want to spend too many days in a car.
My cousin (who we are staying with) has a friend who does henna work, so in celebration of my 3rd trimester, she did some beautiful henna art work on my belly. I love it. It should stay for about 2-3 weeks.

As of today, I am 28 weeks pregnant. I am still feeling fabulous. Maybe a little tired and some days I need a nap, but I can still touch my toes!! I experience practice contractions multiple times throughout my days which they call Braxton Hicks, but ya know, I just hate that they are called Braxton Hicks so I can't bring myself to call them that, lol. The baby is very active and getting stronger all the time. She sometimes gets hiccups which makes my belly jump rhythmically. The backache can be pretty bad, but my husband massages my back every day...thank goodness!
I am reading a book called 'Birthing From Within' which is great and helps me get more comfortable with the idea of pushing a baby out of my hoo-ha! It brings you back to a primal way of thinking about child birth instead of the medical way we look at it today. As I get deeper in to the book I will write more about it.

Gotta Love Baby Shoes!

2010-08-04T16:53:00.008-04:00

I am now 23 weeks. Time is flying by! I can't believe HOW much my belly has grown and I'm finding it impossible to imagine what it will be like in the 9th month!! She has been extremely active lately and her punches and kicks have way more power to them now. Good thing I have been doing my kegels because those bladder kicks can catch you by surprise! I have also been experiencing round ligament pain mainly in my lower belly...OUCH! And I have felt a few braxton hick contractions as my uterus is practicing for the big event. They don't hurt too much (yet) but my belly gets really hard for a few moments.
The doctor gave me the a-okay for the ultrasound and said that if I was concerned about the health of the baby still, then they could do another ultrasound at about 30 weeks, but he said there was no reason to think there was a problem. I think I will pass on that ultrasound. I am sure everything is fine and as I have mentioned in my past posts that I don't believe ultrasounds are the safest for babies. I have also heard that many women who go for that later ultrasound end up having the baby early and I would like to avoid that if I can. We are moving to Toronto in 3 weeks and would like to be able to make it back to Winnipeg for the birth and we plan on coming back here when I am about 38 weeks...but as we all know, babies come when THEY want, lol.

I have started crocheting baby shoes! They are so adorable!! These are for newborns to 3 months and they are now available in my online shop!!
www.heatherbays.etsy.com

It's A......

2010-07-23T12:38:00.012-04:00

So, we had our ultrasound just over a week ago that checked to make sure baby is growing okay and could determine the gender if we wanted to know. We knew from the moment we found out we were pregnant that we would want to know the gender. I am not one for surprises and for something like this, I really needed to know. Thank goodness I live in today's western world because a little over 20 years ago this just wasn't possible and for many people in many countries, this still isn't possible.

We got the photos from her "photoshoot" and most of them look like blobs of gray and I can't really make out what it is. But some of them are pretty obvious. Like this one here shows that it's a GIRL!!! Those are her legs and butt and as you can see, there is no willy. I know that these things aren't 100%, but they are pretty accurate.

This next one is a face only a mother could love, lol. It sorta looks like I am pregnant with Jack the Pumpkin King, lol! But there she is, laying on her side looking right at you.

These ones below are my favourites. She has her arm up covering her eyes and you can see her little lips and her tiny nose nicely framed by her arm.

This one is a little closer.

And here is the last one I will post, of her cute baby feet.

So of course there are all these numbers and letters and I didn't know what they meant. Was this a normal looking ultrasound? I didn't know. My appointment with my doctor isn't until the end of next week, so I wouldn't get the results until then. So, I researched like crazy on how to read an ultrasound. What things meant. This was the most helpful website:
http://www.baby2see.com/medical/charts.html
So, you gotta study your ultrasound and find the numbers and find the averages and then ta-da! What I discovered was she is doing just fine. Everything is in the normal ranges and that for me was SUCH a relief. I know that they can't tell everything from the tests and ultrasounds but nothing wonky has shown up yet so there is no reason to think that this baby will have any problems. THANK GOODNESS we didn't listen to the first 3 doctors that I saw. It just goes to show that you are the best person to listen to. Now time to make an appointment with my homeopathic doctor to detox me from this ultrasound!

Wildlife Haven Rehab Centre

2010-07-14T21:43:00.017-04:00

So, I went to the Wildlife Haven Rehab Centre on Monday to photograph the animals! These photos here plus many more will be used in the calendar for the year 2011. The proceeds from these calendars will be going directly to the animals in need there. I will keep you posted on when and where you can purchase these calendars from as soon as I know. You can view more photos by visiting my fanpage on Facebook here, (but please continue reading before clicking off):
http://www.facebook.com/artist.heatherbays

They have recently changed locations to a temporary place in Ile Des Chenes because of flooding. This place is really in need of some donations, so if you have some cash hanging around that you want to donate to a place that needs it, send it to them, they would really appreciate it! There are only 2 dens for the raccoons and they are already over capacity. They need $500 to build a new den!

But they aren't the only ones who are in need of more space. The whole facility could use more of everything! Have some extra time on your hands? Why not volunteer?!

Here is there website for information on donations and volunteering!
http://www.wildlifehaven.ca/

After I was done photographing all the adorable animals, there was a call from a lady saying that some baby ducks and their mother had fallen in a manhole. So Reesa (one of the volunteer workers) and myself headed over to Waverly to try and help. When we got there we felt like we entered a hopeless situation! There was a mother duck with 10 babies (one of them on it's side struggling until finally it took it's last breath) floating on the water about 9ft down a manhole that was about 4 feet in diameter.

There was a ladder going down to them, but there were bars that didn't have enough space for either of us to fit through, (though a small child could easily fit through them).
So we called the City of Winnipeg to see if we could get someone down to open the bars but the lady was rather unkind and very unhelpful! She told us that someone could be down in 2 days!!! Well, that wasn't good enough, they would die in 2 days! So we realized a friend of ours (Lisa) lived in the area and we called her to see if she had a net. She didn't answer. So, we drove to Superstore and just about bought 2 lacrosse nets when Lisa called back. She said she would see if she had a fishing net and she would meet us by the ducks. So we bought duct tape in case we needed to make the handle longer. When we got back there, some city workers had shown up! Alas, they were unable to open the bars for us. Lisa showed up right after us with a hockey stick and some mosquito netting that she had just quickly sewn like a net, so we duct taped the netting onto the hockey stick and then taped a pole to the end of the hockey stick which was thankfully long enough to reach the ducks!

So it was time to save the 9 living ducks and their Mum! Sometimes one was scooped out and sometimes a few at a time! Mum didn't put up a fight at all, she seemed relieved and thankful!

The babies were placed in a box as they were saved so we could drive them to a pond away from this manhole. I am happy to say that the Mum and her 9 remaining babies were all rescued after being stuck for almost 5 hours! We released them into a pond in Whyte Ridge where another mother duck and her young came and greeted them. It was too sweet and a perfect way to end the day!

19 Weeks...Half Way There!

2010-07-06T11:54:00.009-04:00

So, a fetus is considered full term at 38 weeks, which means, we are half way there...unless I pop early! All this time I felt like I was climbing a hill and now that I have reached 19 weeks, I can start my way back down. Of course if the baby is overdue, which is anytime after 40 weeks, I will be waiting at the bottom of the hill standing still...so maybe I will bring a tent, lol.
We are slowly collecting things we need thanks to close family and friends who have children and kept all the stuff their kids grew out of. Babies hardly use anything because they grow so fast. My sister gave us this pretty bassinet which is mint green. Bassinets are so sweet. I wish babies could sleep in them longer then they can, but thanks to my parents, we'll have a crib to upgrade to. Though, my cats seem to really like the bassinet, lol. (These 2 pictures can be enlarged if you just click them!)

Sometime is the next couple weeks we will be heading back to Health Science Centre for hopefully our last ultrasound which will have more detail on the anatomy of our baby. We'll also find out the sex of the baby then too. I had another dream last night that it was a boy, but we'll see...
After the ultrasound I will be going back to see my homeopathic and naturopathic doctor to detox me from the ultrasound and to see how my vitamin levels are. I have started taking a teaspoon of cod liver oil everyday and I must admit...it's one of the grossest things I have ever swallowed, but thank god for B12 spray because I just breath out of my mouth for a while until the B12 is absorbed and then swallowed so I can't taste or smell lemony cod anymore, only spearmint from the B12. But cod liver oil is good for brain development in fetuses and makes for smarter babies! Not to mention all the GREAT things it does for YOU! You'll know cod liver oil is a good natural healthy brand when you stick it in the freezer and the oil doesn't freeze. I was told the 2 best kinds are by Carlson's and Nordic Naturals (which is the one I use. I bought it at the vitamin store on Corydon Ave called 'Thrive'.)
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Cats and Sinks.

2010-06-29T20:04:00.006-04:00

I'm not entirely sure what it is about the bathroom sink that our cats love so much, but even the new kitten has been caught hanging out in there. Ha! He looks so tiny!
Here check out these photos of our other cats,
Oggy: http://heatherbays.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-water-babies.html
Catface: http://heatherbays.blogspot.com/2007/03/most-photographed-cat-in-world_09.html

It's A Bear!!

2010-06-20T20:06:00.006-04:00

A few weeks back me and a friend drove to Saskatoon. On our way there we saw something running in the field as we were driving to Pelly (to pick up another friend who was also coming to Saskatoon.) Realizing it was a bear I slammed on the brakes and hit reverse to get really close. We jumped out of the car and watched him. Seeing a bear in the wild is pretty exhilarating!! I grabbed my camera and starting walking closer to him so I could get a better shot! Sometimes I seem to forget that some animals don't want to cuddle, lol. He didn't really seem threatening (but really, what do I know, lol.) He looked young and he was all by himself, he was frantically running around in the field before darting across the highway towards a wooded area. I wondered where his mother was because he didn't look that old and I thought that the mother kept her cubs for 2 years before they go off on their own.
Here are the photos from that really wonderful moment!

16 weeks and Counting!

2010-06-13T22:14:00.005-04:00

Well, we had a nice surprise when we got home from India! Looks like half way through the honeymoon we made a baby by accident! At first is was very concerning since we had many vaccinations and we were on anti-malaria meds called Docycycline (a drug that is NOT recommended for pregnant ladies.) A few heartaches and many doctors and specialist later, everything looks good and normal! PHEW!!! So word of advice out there...if you are ever concerned about conceiving on medications that are "high risk" to a fetus, don't jump to any conclusions right away, start by calling Motherisk (they are Toronto based): (416) 813-6780
www.motherisk.org/
Sometimes doctors only know what they read in the text book, where as these doctors have stats for you so you know just how high the risks really are. If it wasn't for them, I don't think I would still be pregnant since the first 3 doctors we saw pushed us in the direction of an abortion.
Now I have a VERY excellent western doctor that I see regularly, along with a homeopathic doctor (who is also studying to become a midwife) and a naturopathic doctor who specializes in massage therapy too. So far all tests have come back normal and I am getting myself on track with vitamins...I was low on B12 a few weeks ago, but I think at my next live blood test she will be pleasantly surprised thanks to all the red meat I started eating and the B12 spray that take 2 or 3 times a day. Hopefully there are less toxins in my body from the help of Acidophilus. I also have another ultrasound in about 4 or 5 weeks time that will show any problems (if any have developed) and we'll be able to find out the sex (even though I am willing to bet that it's a boy!)
We are so excited! Sometimes I am like, "WHOA, there's only 5 more months until the baby comes" and other times I am like, "man, there's still 5 more months to go!"
Come back to stay updated on this adventure!

Meet Shere Khan!

2010-06-12T01:13:00.006-04:00

We got a new kitten totally by accident! We found him on the drive home from Saskatoon over the May long weekend. He was in very rough shape. Covered in sticky white stuff, had been burnt with what looked like cigarettes and has been beaten up by another animal. The owners didn't want him, so they kicked him out. He's was only like 8 to 10 weeks old. He is crazy and adorable. Oggy and him are totally in love and Catface is just grateful that he is now left alone by Oggy.

January 26th 2010.

2010-04-17T12:34:00.007-04:00

As I started processing the India photos, I noticed a BUNCH of photos that haven't even been sorted through from before the trip. So, I started working on those...to catch up. Here's a photo from my Parents 25th wedding anniversary. It was on January 26th.

And here is a photo of them with their 3 oldest children, Mike, Christine and Me (Heather.) This photo was taken sometime in late 1986 or early 87'.

Bread and Butterfly...ADORABLE!

2010-04-13T13:12:00.004-04:00

So, I have made more Blythe accessories! Now, I know that they aren't specifically for Blythe dolls, but the adorable Bread and Butterfly (from Alice and Wonderland) is in a vintage style metal birdcage and it's the perfect size. I have 4 of these left and they would also look super CUTE in any room of the house just as dangling decorations.

They are available in my Etsy shop, check it out!!!
www.heatherbays.etsy.com

I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts!

2010-03-22T13:27:00.018-04:00

My god! Goa is such a paradise. I haven't written because I have been too busy swimming in the Arabian Sea, laying on the beach, eating yummy food and drinking Indian wine.

Goa was a great place to end a 6 week backpacking excursion across India. I was VERY heartbroken to leave. We were in the North of Goa staying in a place called Candolim before heading to the South and finding a way better destination called Palolem. Candolim was a little too resorty for me. Full of packaged tours with many tourists from Russia and England.
However, we did see a HUGE crocodile when we went out on a "Crocodile Dundee" tour with John's Boat tours...which was ridiculously stupid!! The only good thing about the tour was how lucky we were to see this 5 metre beast. We got so close to her that I am sure if I reached my arm out of the boat I could have touched her.

Our guide told us that this was the biggest croc that he has ever seen!

When we went south, we found ourselves on a beach with many other backpackers who were ending their trip the same way we were, relaxing on the beach. You could see the difference immediately! In Palolem there were no topless women, or over-tanned oiled men in bright coloured string thongs or people who were completely naked like there were all over in Candolim, though it made people watching a lot more amusing, I was pretty glad to get out of there, (too hoity-toity for me!) Though Goa is a far more westernized province then anywhere else in India, Palolem had people who had done more travelling around the country. Everyday you saw new backpackers arriving! Also, Polalem was a far younger crowd of people, and the beach was prettier and we stayed in a bamboo hut right on the beach in a forest of palm trees, so it was more like a cabin on the sea! It was far cheaper too and more laid-back.

This is Palolem Beach! Sigh!

We laid on the beach during the days with a temperature reaching high 30s to mid 40s (Celsius) and went swimming as much as we could!

Riding the waves was soooooo fun! I can't believe HOW much I loved swimming in the sea. Before this, I was afraid to go in the water and I have seen a lot of seas and oceans through my travels. It's the fish and other alien like things in the water that give me the heebie-jeebies! Needless to say, Julian helped me get over my fear, to the point where I actually went snorkeling!!!! Sorry, no photos of that, but it wasn't the most exciting. I'm not sure where all the pretty fish were, but they weren't in the sea off Grand Island, thats for sure. The boat ride back from snorkeling was terrifying. Had we been at home there would have for sure been a warning about being out on a small boat with the HUGE waves, but in India, it was "safe", lol. So, we sat back and drank beers and enjoyed the ride...we were absolutely soaking wet! Needless to say, snorkeling in Goa isn't worth it.
The food is just WONDERFUL!! We ate and ate and ate as much as we could!! I fell in love with coconuts! I had coconut pancakes with honey everyday!

And the coconut man walked up and down the beach all day, so sometime in the mid afternoon it was time for a fresh coconut accompanied by masala chai and Beano (the most travelled card game ever!)

After we finished the coconut, it made a perfect bowl so we could hydrate our many beach friends. This guy was with us the whole time, he was so sweet. He loved cashew cookies too! He would sleep under me in the shade all day.

And then, it was time for a swim...again.

Every night we would take a long walk along the beach and watch the sunset and the crabs come out to play! The sunsets were just incredible!

I will miss Goa, I already do. It was really difficult to leave, but I feel better knowing that we WILL be back one day in the near future. Getting on that train back to Mumbai was very difficult. I passed the time watching Dream Girls for the 4th time this month, lol. It's a great movie to watch on the train, I can't help but sing along!

We are now back in Mumbai about to go to sleep and we'll wake up early and head to the airport to catch our plane with British Airways, who are on strike at the moment, so we'll see how or if this affects our flight. It's amazing that the last time we were in this HUGE insane city was when we first arrived and I couldn't stand it. It was to intense for me and the smells were something else! But now that I am back here, there is a sorta comfort to it. It's funny how something that seems so overwhelming and uncomfortable and scary at first can make you feel sorta "at home" with a bit of time. I guess all change takes some getting used to, and I am used to India and I LOVE it here. I will be back!!! I haven't even left and I already miss it!
Goodbye India. Thanks for the BEST honeymoon EVER!!!

From Jungle to Jungle.

2010-03-10T08:56:00.032-05:00

So we have left beautiful Rishikesh, which was very hard and I actually got a little choked up about it even though I knew we were heading to the jungle in hopes of seeing Asian Elephants and Bengal Tigers. Maybe it was Dolly, maybe it was the culture and scenery or maybe it was the food, but now that I think about it, it was just Rishikesh as a whole. I would recommend that if you come to India you should spend like a week (or longer) taking it easy in the clean(er) air and the fresh(er) Ganges. We will FOR SURE be back one day!

Julian and I headed to Rajaji National Park and it was just okay. It's the place to see Asian Elephants. The scenery is beautiful and it's nice and quiet there. Here are photos that were taken as the sun was rising.

The park reminded me so much of the scenery in The Jungle Book, especially the scene with the vultures...one of my favourite scenes!

After 2 days in the jungle...we saw one wild male elephant and 3 chained elephants. Here's photos of the wild elephant we saw.

We wondered HOW many elephants were actually in the park and we asked many different people that worked there and we got a different answer every time ranging from 180 to 700. I am aware that there is a language barrier, but I am also aware (after being fortunate enough to visit so many parks in India) that the people will tell you anything even if they don't actually know.
As for the chained elephants, there was once elephant rides available in the park, but those were canceled after the female died, so now they have 2 new elephants that are being trained (which involves whips and sharp objects to stab the elephant and chains from their ankles so they are trapped...like prisoners.) And the 3rd chained elephant we saw was named Yogi and he was Sanjeev's (the guy who seems to be the biggest influence on the park) legally adopt baby elephant.

Why did he adopt the elephant? Well, he said it was because the mother elephant kept coming back to the same village and eventually she got scared off and accidentally abandoned her baby which was found a couple days later. But still, why is this poor elephant attached to chains? Why wasn't he reunited with his mother in the jungle? Sanjeev said it was always a dream of his to have a pet elephant so after fighting for him, he was able to legally adopt him. Well, I want a baby elephant too, because they are one of my favourite animals, but I know that chaining a creature like this is just plain cruel. He told us that the elephant was chained right now because there was a wild male in the area that could hurt him, and the tigers could attack him too, so this keeps him safe. I also wondered where the 2 new elephants came from that were being trained for elephant rides. Two of the guides told me that they were from in the jungle. I asked them "how a park that claims that they are looking out for the well being of these animals and trying to save the Asian Elephants in India could take wild animals and train them like dogs." And he said "because they want them for the elephant rides." But I said, "why do you need them when you have these fancy jeeps that can drive around the park", and he said "because tourists like the rides." But I soon corrected him and said, "you mean, because you make more money", and he laughed and agreed. I asked Sanjeev these same questions and he tried to reassure me that the elephants came from a zoo in Delhi. What to believe...either way...they are mistreated and I would HIGHLY advise you NOT to support this. Lots of parks offer elephant rides, and they are all treated the same. Over worked and chained and abused. I know I sound like a crazy animal rights activists and slightly self righteous but here are some facts about wild elephants that you may not know.

Elephants are one of the most intelligent animals.
Elephants are self aware, could recognize themselves in the mirror.
Elephants have close knit families/social groups.
Elephants have their own rituals if one of their family members are dead.
Elephants sometimes come back to the remains to pay homage to their ancestors.

And here are some facts about domesticated elephants that you may not know:

-Their soft feet directly comes in to contact with the hot, burning, tarred roads for hours while walking from one location to another. Along with the heave chains on their feet, foot problems and wounds develop, which rarely get a chance to heal.
-They endure the noise, the traffic, commotion, fireworks, while traveling and during festivals.
-They suffer from cruel treatment by the mahouts. A recent article published in Kerala Kaumudi points out that around 90% of domesticated elephants in Kerala are made blind or partially blind, so that they can be easily controlled, and don’t target their mahouts when they are angry.
-They lack proper rest, food and treatment.

So, where ever you can pay to get an elephant bath or go for an elephant ride, you should really think twice! These should be wild animals left in the jungle, not chained in a backyard where they just sway back and forth and back and forth all day in the sun. Don't be a stupid tourist, if you love wildlife, then love it in the wild!
Okay again I went and got really depressing, so lets change the subject shall we!

We left Rajaji feeling a little down, but once we got to Tala in Madhya Pradesh we got VERY excited about the possibility of seeing a Bengal Tiger! We were told that Bandhavgarh National Park was the best place with the greatest chance of seeing one of these beautiful cats! We went out for 4 and a half ours one morning and within the first hour, there she was...so so far away that you would need binoculars to see her. Even with my zoom lens she was hard to spot...but, nonetheless, she was a wild tiger and it was exciting!! So our hopes were really high! If we saw a tiger in the first hour, how many were we going to see?! We went to bed after buying my new puppy friends a samosa for dinner and hydrating them with water. These 2 pups were my new "little monkeys" that I babied for the 4 days we were there...don't worry, I put anti-bacterial spray on my hands after, lol.

They were very young pups with little baby teeth and bloated bellies. I protected them from the abusive locals when I could and I wish I could have brought them with me to Goa where there are 2 animals shelters (the only two in India that I have found that take stray cats and dogs) that could have fixed them up and had them adopted. But alas, they will stay there and hopefully survive and then unfortunately reproduce and create more strays.
But enough about the dogs, lets get to the tigers!! We went out for 9 hours in total on our 3rd day in Tala and can you believe it...we saw NOTHING!! Well not nothing...we saw birds and monkeys and bats and termite hills and scenery, oh and of course spotted dear...but no bloody tigers!!!

Even though tigers are orange and black you would be surprised HOW camouflage they are. We searched and searched. We went back in to the jungle on our 4th day, this would be our last 4 and a half hours in the jungle searching. I was so sure at first that I would get the perfect tiger picture to hang on my wall and now I was feeling like it was hopeless. But within 20 minutes in the park, there was a male tiger! It was a VERY brief siting, but very exciting! I didn't get a very good picture because it was like 6:30am and I had to shoot with 800 ISO and the tiger was far away and his face was looking the other way as he was walking up a hill, but my hopes were up again! Maybe today was our day?! After 3 hours of vultures, a mongoose and a VERY lucky siting of a Jungle Cat, we still hadn't seen another tiger. One of my best friends call me the "animal whisperer" because for some reason when I am around animals they just do the perfect things for photographs, almost like they know and so the pose for me...but I said to Julian, I officially retire as the "animal whisperer". I was feeling a little down. And then ALL OF A SUDDEN, about 20-25 minutes before we had to leave the park...THERE SHE WAS!!! She was like 25 feet from us in the palm bushes with a perfect view and with the PERFECT light casting across her face. Just call me the "animal whisperer" I said, lol. She had two cubs that were hiding in the palm bushes, so we couldn't see them. The guy who worked at the park told us she broke her leg 2 years ago during sex (rough!) and they tried to help her, but she is a wild tiger and they could only do so much, so her leg didn't heal properly, so she sneaks in to local villages where she can kill cattle because it's much easier then chasing spotted deer or sambar deer. She was beautiful!!!

These photos were all taken with a point and shoot camera, so just wait until you see the photos from my DSLR! We have been in India for almost 5 weeks and I have taken 90GB of RAW photos already! It's so photogenic here, I can't help it! But I will have lots of work to do when we get home.
We are waiting for a train right now to Goa. I don't know exactly what adventures Goa will bring us, but I will blog about it soon enough. We will take a boat ride, see some crocodiles, see some dolphins, eat good food, drink fresh juice, and lounge on the beach. I will also spend a couple days volunteering in one of the shelters where I get to cuddle clean puppies all day! I can't wait!! I love India and I never want to leave!

Happy Holi!

2010-03-02T09:53:00.004-05:00

The Holi Festival turned out to be AMAZING and colourful! After the morning water balloon fight, we spent the day with an Indian family on the beach swimming in the Ganges, water rafting and eating the most amazing food EVER all in the foothills of the Himalayas. The day was absolutely perfect. I wish I had more photos to show you right now, but because the day was messy I didn't want to bring the digital cameras out, so I captured the day on 120 film using my Holga. So pictures will come soon enough!
We will be leaving Rishikesh tomorrow morning, which is sad, but I have to look on the bright side...we will be heading back in to the jungle to see wild elephants at Rajiji National Park. So I will blog about that experience soon enough!

From Agra to Paradise in Rishikesh.

2010-02-28T06:10:00.024-05:00

Agra and Delhi were more fun the we expected considering we heard only negative things about both places, we weren't expecting much. And maybe that is the secret, because we had a pretty good time, (though now that we are in Rishikesh the time there pales in comparison, but maybe that is the other secret...go to Delhi and Agra first, lol.) We spent lots of times sitting and dining on rooftops over looking the cities and just enjoying the madness from above. In Agra is was awesome to have the Taj Mahal as a back drop.

To think that we considered missing coming here because of the negativity!! The Taj Mahal was far more impressive that I could have imagined!! It is so photogenic. One of the best decisions we made on this trip was waking up at sunrise to head there. There was a fraction of the tourists that are there during the day. A lot of the tour groups show up around 9am so getting there ahead of time was so good and spacious. And the Taj looks so beautiful in the early morning light...almost pearly instead of milky.

After an afternoon of shopping and resting we visited the Agra Fort. This place was awesome. We got there near the end of the day and stayed until in closed...well until we got kicked out, lol. But thank god for that because I was able to capture a photo with NO people in it and that it hard to do anywhere in India, lol.

One of our days in Agra we spent visiting this Sloth bear rehabilitation center and that was really sad and wonderful. I have no photos understandably (as the bears could be triggered since stupid tourists used to pay to watch and photograph them dancing) but we spent the day interviewing Geeta Seshamani, a Co-Founder of Wildlife SOS. In my last post, John's comment had a link for a video from the Wildlife SOS which are responsible for saving these creatures from a life of torture. As of December 18 they got the last dancing bear off the streets! Please watch this short video that was recorded in November 2009.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/kartick_satyanarayan_how_we_rescued_the_dancing_bears.html

And here's a 2 part documentary you should watch too on the rehabilitation center we visited.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTUy_g4JHWs
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhV4rAkB_6Y&NR=1

Obviously these bears will never be able to go back to the wild, but the centre they live in provides them with healthy food, care and love. In fact, Geeta knows every one of the bears names and there are over 275 bears there!!! I was happy to see that this place wasn't set up like a zoo. It is under a lot of security and if you choose to visit you SHOULD make a generous donation. But if you can't visit and want to donate money to an organization that has animals best interests at heart, this is the organization to donate to! They don't ONLY have animals interests at heart, they educate the people who are responsible for abusing them too!

http://www.wildlifesos.org/

By the way...if you EVER see a wild animal on a leash that you can pay to watch perform acts or feed or take pictures of, don't fall for it. You are just supporting a cycle of abuse and you don't want to be responsible for that do you?

Surrounding the rehabilitation is a bird sanctuary that wasn't set up that well. If you want to photograph birds it's quite difficult with a constant stream of traffic scaring them off. But we managed to get quite close to a peacock that turned on us when we tried to walk the other way...the bloody thing attacked me!

Clearly he's used to people feeding him, but I didn't want to be one of those people...feeding wild animals is NOT okay, so stop doing it! Animals become aggressive when you hand feed them crappy food that isn't part of their diets and then they come to expect it...hence it attacking me...and that is exactly why all the monkeys in the cities will attack you for your food or water and sometimes camera!

Anyway. After Agra and Delhi we headed for a relaxing time in Rishikesh. We have been here for 5 days now and we'll be here for another 3 days which honestly isn't enough! This place is like paradise.

The food is delicious, the scenery is gorgeous, the weather is wonderful and the classes are endless. We are staying at the High Bank Peasant Cottage with a balcony overlooking the foothills of the Himalayas...which I would call mountains, lol.

Oh and there is a WONDERFUL Great Dane that lives here that I can't get enough of! Her name is Dolly!

The Ganges is just below us as well.

We are surrounded by monkeys too! I love monkeys, they are such shits! You have to be careful because they will mug you at any chance they get!!

We just eat so much good fresh foods all day on patios along the river. Our favourite salad is this veggie fruit salad which has like, bananas, papaya, apple, pineapple, cabbage, tomato, cucumber, pomegranate, carrot, green pepper, red pepper, fresh cilantro all covered in olive oil!!! It's so refreshing!

Our favourite hot drink right now is hot ginger lemon honey, it's so healthy and boosts that immune system!

And our favourite cold drink at the moment is freshly squeezed lemon juice with fresh ground mint! Mmmmmm mmmmmm!

Yesterday evening we went for a Swedish massage and it was awesome and weird, lol. There was no room for shyness there ha ha ha. It was a full body massage for like 75 minutes and she rubbed me down EVERYWHERE except directly between my legs, lol. She used her hands and her feet and twisted my body in so many ways and I was so oiled, lol. She dumped oil on my head and I was just one lubricated girl. But I have such soft skin and hair now. We woke up at 8am this morning and did a 90 minute yoga class. That was refreshing too.
Tomorrow is Holi Festival which is a celebration of the spring ahead. It's just a festival of colours. People dance in the street and people throw water balloons full of dyed water and boy are we prepared! We have 100 water balloons!

These kids think they are so good, but they don't realize the practice we have had throwing things like snowballs our whole life! These kids are going down! Mwa ha ha ha ha!! I can't wait! We are heading to the temple with a bunch of the balloons tonight. This will be fun!