beyond the beads

it's past noon, we can drink, right? ...you know what they say, it's 5 o'clock somewhere lol! Eh, it's been a doozy up here... the province-wide lockdown ends on Tuesday, March Break is now postponed to April... So yeah, cheers. Stay hydrated, friends.

you're going to want to keep this one in your back pocket. Maybe even literally. One of the top items on any registry is a Diaper Genie, right? So much so that we even got two of them. One for the room & one for the main floor... but they stink. Like actually stink. Did you know, the fragrance disks from Bath & Body Works fit perfectly into the filter space on the underside of the lid?!... Boom! You're welcome. Now every time you flap it open you'll get a whiff of Mahogany Teakwood. if your little one is potty trained, save this tip for the next baby shower you go to! Share this post to your stories or send the link to a new mama. Trust us, you'll be thanked! @ Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada

do you ever just look back & think 'oh this is going to be so great to embarrass the hell out of my kids one day?' ...tbh, I feel like Adam is just going to be like 'Mom, you're lame' ...if kids will even say lame. Fetch? Sus? I have no idea. You know how I know I'm old?... 1) I don't know any of the new slang. 2) Four years ago when I went back to Australia, 'STOP' was playing, & the teen at the cafe had no idea who sang it. if you don't know who we were in this talent show pic, dancing to 'STOP'... drop an emoji! Also let it be known, that Jess & I listen to Spice Girls before every podcast we record!!! It's our thing. ...guess which Spice Girl I am! hint, I look like an older, frizzy hair'd Adam LOL

Feeding Tube Awareness week... Christian: I debated sharing these pictures of my sweet little boy. Christian was tube feed & intubated for over six weeks when he was born. His NG tube was usually covered by his breathing tube. The second picture is him after his final closure repair. I had to search for these pictures because I deleted them off my phone. Christian will be 3 next week & these pictures are still so hard to look at. This is the reality of having a baby in t...he NICU. This is what a sick baby looks like - not fun & not fair. But even though all the procedures & tubes were extremely hard to see, they played a central role in getting Christian where he is today. So grateful for modern medicine & the thorough care my boys received at @sickkidstoronto. Tube feeding saves lives #beyondthebeads #sickkids #sickkidsmamas #sickkidsvs #braverybeads #bravery #warrior #brave #strong #gastroschisis #gastroschisiswarrior #gastroschisisawareness #esophagealatresia #esophagealatresiaawareness #ea #tubefeedingawareness @ Toronto, Ontario

Feeding Tube Awareness week... Theo: with Gastroschisis babies an NG tube is immediately placed in their mouth as soon as they are born to drain excess bile. Once the bile starts to drain the NG tube is put through the nose. Theo had an NG tube for 3 months. After discharge we were in out of the hospital multiple times before he was 1 to help with weight gain & to try to get his chronic reflux under control. We went home from @sickkidstoronto to get an NG tube inserted, which... was very challenging to have in place for an active baby. After Theo’s 1st birthday he had a G-tube inserted. It’s was the most terrifying process & literally everything that could’ve went wrong with his G-tube, did go wrong (blog link in bio) but we would do it all over again because it allowed him to gain weight & grow. Without it, he would not have developed & be the boy he is today. Feeding tubes are not easy & have there challenges but they are truly Lifesavers and we wouldn’t be here without them #beyondthebeads #sickkids #sickkidsmamas #sickkidsvs #braverybeads #bravery #warrior #brave #strong #gastroschisis #gastroschisiswarrior #gastroschisisawareness #esophagealatresia #esophagealatresiaawareness #ea #tubefeedingawareness @ Toronto, Ontario