Daegan Coyne

💙Blueberry Chocolate Cups💙

Daegan Coyne — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 18:47:31 +0000

Harlyn and I felt like getting a little creative in the kitchen and decided to make some fun chocolate cups! She’s obsessed with the color our @morlife_ blue Spirulina Powder 💙so of course put it to good use. Better yet, my critic of a husband gave it 3 stars (he works off the Michelin 3 star system and trust me, a harsh judge.) 😉 Sweet, fruity, chocolatey and full of texture! 🤤

🥜 BASE 🥜
I actually made my Bliss balls at the same time and just used one ball for each base:

1 cup oats
1/2 cup crunchy nut butter
1/4 cup almonds (any nuts)
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
a few dark chocolate chunks

Feel free to add any other ingredients, nuts, seeds etc. Blend in the food processor, combine and form into balls. Press one into moulds or muffin tin and freeze to set. Then mix the Blueberry Layer.

BLUEBERRY LAYER
1 tbsp of Blue Spirulina Powder
1/2 cup blueberries
2 cups cashew nuts (or 1 cup of any nut butter really)
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
2 tbsp of shredded coconut
5 tbsp of maple syrup
1/4 cup oat milk
1 tsp vanilla

Food process the Blueberry Layer until smooth. Add to the frozen base and set back in the freezer.

🍫 DARK CHOC LAYER 🍫
1 block melted dark chocolate

✅ Once frozen, simply add melted dark chocolate and any of your decorative ingredients as topping! Freeze to set and enjoy!

PS. If after any Morlife items including this Blue Spirulina Powder, use code DAEGAN to save at checkout.

Weaning: the emotional rollercoaster of the BF journey

Daegan Coyne — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:38:29 +0000

In the last almost 5 years there was 1-2 months that I wasn’t pregnant or breastfeeding. I always said I would nurse as long as my babies wanted provided I too was enjoying it. Harlyn was rather simple, cutting down to a single night feed for the last year of our BF journey & then stopping on her own. Then Halestorm. His nursing needs escalated over the last 8 months to the point he was refusing solids and I’d literally have to peel him off of me. Countless times at 3am with tears running down my face, I knew I couldn’t keep this up but he’s my baby, and highly likely my last baby. It was, however, becoming detrimental to our health. Little sleep, my body producing milk 24/7, and accepting no other nutrition source. It was no longer working for us. So I sent him to the folks for a few days where he didn’t even care about milk. When he returned, I did my best to keep him off me and limit feeds. I wore bandages during the day, stating they were broken. He shed a few tears the first time yelling “boobiesss” but soon he let it be. I then slowly replaced his night time feeds with his water bottle, and he has since slept through the night every night and is back to eating most meals! He’s tried to pull a sneaky a few times, but other than that we have both a healthy + happy mom and bub!I can’t help but tear up knowing that journey has come to an end. Breastfeeding can bring about a multitude of physical and emotional changes from beginning to end.I guess it’s like any major milestone-you’re thrilled but at the same time you grieve the loss of your child’s dependence on you. This is motherhood. So I’m reminding myself that it’s okay to cry, but to also be proud of what we did achieve. I’m also reminding myself that these wild emotions will not last, and some are likely attributed to the hormonal changes thanks to weaning. Did you know that when you stop breastfeeding, there’s a big drop in prolactin and oxytocin levels, hence a likely drop in mood. Soz Coynie. So although today I’m a little down, I’m, so very grateful to have the bond I do with these two. Provided the hugs, kisses and laughs never end… I’ll be one happy mama.

Long Distance Love

Daegan Coyne — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:31:52 +0000

Coynie and I have done quite a few stints now apart with him often working overseas, however the last leg was definitely the longest… and likely the most difficult being somewhat displaced with 2 little ones. I’m fortunate this time to have family around, and also friends who share a similar lifestyle that help me through it all.

I know I’m an independent person, and do well on my own, in fact I really appreciate alone time. Although my personality assists with this sort of lifestyle, it doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges along the way. There are. I have received a few messages from you ladies however who’s partners are either considering working away or already do but kids will soon be involved so I thought I’d share some of the key things that have helped us.

Initially, figuring out the practical side of living took precedent- who will manage what aspects of the family unit and how…..BUT we forgot about the emotional weight of it all. Like clockwork, a week before Coynie was to leave we’d get into a argument, over the most ridiculous things. I’m very much a ‘I can do it all’ type person and I knew very well I was building up my wall as my way of coping with him leaving and the responsibility that fell on myself. I would be cranky and irritable, but once we became aware that emotions were simply getting to us we were better able to prepare for it.

Once he’s away, I fell into my routine etc time, even with the two kids. You pick your battles, and simply do what you can to make the day enjoyable for all parties. When we had a bad day, I would catch myself being jealous of Mr Coyne going home from work, ordering dinner in and watching Netflix. Oh how I wish I could do that. But then I’d catch myself. He’s not working away because he wants to be away from us, he’s doing it to provide for us and our future. He’s doing this so we can have the life we dream of for our kids. My attitude would quickly change from bitterness to gratefulness.

Miss Harlyn

This was our first big haul with the two kids, and I noticed after about a month that their behaviours changed- needy, cranky, simply exhausting. I realised they too are emotional, they miss their dad. So I ensured quality time. No phones, no distractions. We played, we cuddled, we went on adventures and I gave them a good routine. A good friend Allira recommended we make dad a large diary of all of our shenanigans, so every week we drew dad pictures, wrote down stories and included photos and gave him an overfilled book of our adventures. I honestly think this was a game changer for Harlyn. Hale however was more difficult being so young. He couldn’t communicate and absolutely craved male attention, so we ensured regularly dates with Papa and phone calls with his dad.

Although exhausting, it’s amazing the routine you create and what you can accomplish. Then there’s the excitement and nerves of the hubby returning. This time I knew all too well what to expect but regardless, I still felt and went through it all. There’s the honeymoon period, then the ‘you can go back now as you are totally messing up my routine’ then the stressed out period where they’re trying to communicate and make big decisions in the time they have and it’s overwhelming, then the ‘feels like they never left’ time where you’ve reconnected and got back into a collective routine.

When he first gets home, it’s important for some down time. For everyone to simply cuddle, share stories and just reconnect. Rather than dad jumping into the ‘parent role’ of discipline etc, he lets me continue my way and assist in taking some tasks over gradually so not to disrupt (basically not to annoy me & not to discipline the kids when he hasn’t given the instructions or been here for some time). Coynie took over the nightly dinner and bathtime/story time routine which has helped the kids to have that quality time with him, and also gets them use to him being around. I feel it takes a good 2 weeks to just settle, so best to keep commitments at a down low. We headed off for a mini family holiday which was a good way to learn to live together again in neutral territory, and impossible to be stressed when enjoying a family vacation. We also plan our ‘Date nights’ which kind of suck here at the moment as we can’t go anywhere haha BUT we know one will be coming up and we can’t wait.

There’s a lot of emotions involved with partners working away, so be in tune with the body and mind. Don’t ever hesitate to ask for help & try to enjoy the time you get to do what you want to do. There can be so many positives in having that time for you. The goodbyes never really get easier, but you can make the new normal easier on yourself, balancing between living for you and waiting for things you can do with your other half! So take advantage of it.

Berry Yogurty Icy Pops

Daegan Coyne — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:06:10 +0000

A summer (and 2 year old) fave. A healthy option for those summer days and satisfying for all members of the family. Satisfying any sugar cravings mid afternoon, it’s also packed with vitamin c, a good source of fibre, and probiotics. As a mom, I’m always sneaking in added nutrition whenever I can. These are no exception. This time I’ve used a kid favourite, Morlife Immune Kidz which each serving providing:

over 100% daily vitamin C needs
Vitamins A, C, D & folate
Iodine and Potassium
Herbal extracts including Elderberry & Echinacea
Shiitake & Maitake Mushrooms
1.8 billion probiotics
Antioxidants
Suitable for +12 months
Yummy Tropical Taste as good as cordial or juice
Only 1.2g sugar per serve

Strawberry Blueberry Cream Icy Pops

Ingredients

3/4 cups frozen blueberries
3/4 cups frozen strawberries
1 tbsp honey
2.5 cups of coconut yogurt (can use any kind)
4 tbsp of almond milk (can use any kind)
2 serves Morlife Immune Kids (tropical flavour) – optional*

Instructions

In separate saucepans, heat the blueberries & the strawberries over medium heat adding half the honey to each. Simmer for a few minutes then mash the fruit to create a jam. Remove from heat and let cool.
Whisk the yogurt and the milk together.
When the fruit is cool, gently add to the yogurt mix. If you want to make your icy pops have a neat swirl, use a knife to run a few lines folding the fruit into the yogurt without over mixing.
As a parent, I am often sneaking in some added nutrition whenever I can. For these, I added a couple serves of Morlife Immune Kids in a yummy tropical flavour. Similarly, lightly folds into yogurt mix for beautiful presentation BUT if you mix it all, it will still taste as good.
Scoop into your icy pop trays and let freeze overnight.
To remove from the moulds, let sit in warm water for a minute or two.

Enjoy.

Cracked Nipples

Daegan Coyne — Sun, 13 Dec 2020 22:36:09 +0000

Beautiful and nurturing but also painful and draining (at various points in the breastfeeding journey). ✨ The thought of breastfeeding makes me smile, as there is something so magical and bonding about it. Which is ironic considering the initial difficulty getting Harlyn to latch, Hale’s tongue tie, mastitis, many blistered nipples, nipple shields, bites so bad they end up infected, one boob permanently lower than the other from the constant tugging and preference for the one side 🤣 🐮 … I could go on and on, yet I love it. 💙I know one day I’ll feed Hale for the last time and it literally makes me tear up. 19 months in now, and so far no signs of slowing down.

So when will I stop breastfeeding? Truth be told, I have no idea but I hope to end as it started. Naturally. I know every mom’s journey is different, with every child being unique- I do believe the hardest part of breastfeeding is in the first 6-12 months. From there, feeds are less frequent, less demanding, less exhausting, and also less isolating. A few more cheeky bites and tugs, but we can’t have it all 😂 . Although I’m not ready for him to stop just yet, I am so grateful for these images to remember these moments. Thanks @vanmorris_photography 📸

Anyone else surprised with their first born the skills needed to breastfeed?! 😂 I was talking about the stuff NO ONE told me when pregnant with my sister, and this was a big one!

Goodbye Husband

Daegan Coyne — Sun, 13 Dec 2020 22:30:34 +0000

I’ve had 9 months to prepare for this. I didn’t anticipate this goodbye exactly, or that we’d still be in Canada 8 months after our what was suppose to be “3 week ski trip”, but nevertheless here we are. Still stuck in Canada thanks to Covid, although fortunately surrounded by family. Despite my long history of saying goodbye to family and friends for extended periods having made the move to Australia from Canada at the age of 20, the goodbyes only get harder. There’s no amount of experience, or preparation that makes goodbyes like this any easier.

I was getting angry at myself for being sad and anxious, knowing how fortunate I am and the good run I’ve had having my husband home full time and experiencing a Canadian life. Living overseas I miss out on a great deal of family affairs and to think I’ve celebrated all of our family members birthdays this year! I was here when my brother and his fiancée welcomed their little girl. I’ve been part of my sister’s entire pregnancy and will be able to welcome him into this world. It’s been nothing short of magic. However, despite knowing our current adventure wouldn’t last forever it’s hard to think that life will eventually go back to normal ( whatever the new normal may be). China’s borders opened up to work permit holders, so the hubby has headed back to Shanghai making it an emotional day. 😭 who will cook dinner for us and do all the heavy lifting?! 😉 His departure is also a strike of reality, knowing we too will have to head ‘home’ soon and face another devastating goodbye. Sometimes I wonder why I did this to myself? No matter where we live, there’s always a painful goodbye. And although we have Facetime and (usually) lots of incredible holidays and visits together, the emotions are what they are. I hate the thought of keeping the kids from their grandparents and not being able to celebrate all the little moments. I will be okay, it just hurts. I feel so, so blessed, but also so torn. Fortunately I know both Coynie and I will have our work cut out for us over the next couple of months. Just when I thought I had this parenting thing down pat, I took the kids by myself to breakfast at the hotel…. overtired kids whose father just flew to China for an unknown period of time and covid social distancing restrictions: I lasted an entire 4 minutes at the table before asking the server for room service. 😂You can come back now honey 😘BUT I know we got this. We always do.

If you live abroad, fifo fam, or missing peeps thanks to covid- I feel ya. It’s not easy is it? It is however amazing what we are capable of when we’re in the position. One dirty nappy and meal at a time.