This time of year I always get nostalgic for the days when I was a student. I loved back-to-school season. Loved shopping for school supplies and new clothes. Loved anticipating what my classes would be like, who my teachers would be, and who I'd meet and become friends with during the year. I loved the 'newness' of this time of year and the energy that came with the changing seasons.
When I gave birth to my first daughter in 2010, I felt totally overwhelmed. None of my friends had babies yet, so I was navigating the waters of motherhood on my own. I relied on blogs, books, experts, and my own mom for advice, and I spent hours in new-mom-and-baby classes in search of answers to all my questions. Much to my husband's dismay, I spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on baby products—toys, gadgets, carriers, sleep-aids, bottles, pacifiers, teethers, and anything else I was told would make life with baby easier.
Since I began writing about my experience with CReATe Cord Blood Bank, I've had many friends contact me to ask about the cord blood banking process and to get my thoughts on whether or not they should look into banking their own babies' cord blood. Though I'm by no means an expert, nor am I in the position to tell anyone what they should do when it comes to making this very personal decision, I can speak from my own experience having just given birth to my second daughter two months ago.
A few weeks ago my incredibly brave three-year-old took my mother by the hand and pulled her toward the Dragon Roller Coaster at Centreville, the amazing kid-friendly amusement park on Toronto's Centre Island.
My mom went with her because I refused to. I don't like roller coasters. Even if they don't go upside down.
Here I am almost three months into baby Fiona's life.
So far, I've managed to keep my freelance writing and editing business running, pay all of my monthly expenses (including daughter #1's daycare tuition) and maintain my sanity (more or less, depending who you ask).
If you have a daughter, you should really watch this video:
As I watch, I can't help but think of my own daughters—the dreams they have, and the opportunities they'll be afforded to bring those dreams to life. I also think about how I want to teach them, as they grow up, about the importance of helping to make dreams come true for those who have less than we do.
While the title of this blog is Our Happy Place and I try to wear my rose coloured glasses whenever possible, truth be told, I'm a bit of a nervous Nellie. I freak out and call my doctor over innocuous medical symptoms. I read the news and imagine terrible things happening to me and my family. And, I yell at my husband when he pushes my daughter too high on the swing.
When I gave birth to my first daughter three years ago, none of my friends had had babies yet. I wasn't part of the Yummy Mummy Club, and I didn't know much about the experience of giving birth or what to expect when I brought baby home. My house was well-stocked with the essentials—diapers, wipes, sleepers, and receiving blankets—but I didn't know about all the less-adorable and much more essential items that would make life easier and less painful for me and baby. Now that I do know, I feel like I must share them.
Twenty-one days ago, in what proved to be an extremely intense and very fast labour and delivery (two hours start to finish), I went from being the mom of one little girl to a mom of two. It was only 21 days ago, but in some ways it feels like a lifetime. Fiona Rose has been the ideal second child. She sleeps better than her older sister ever did (or does). She rarely cries. And, so far (and I say this knowing that things change very quickly with newborns!) she’s the type of baby all first-time moms long for…but few get.
My 3-year-old daughter is slightly princess obsessed. She's got dolls, stickers, colouring books, dresses, nightgowns, even a mini-princess couch in her room. But, she finds the actual Disney princess movies really scary. And so, she's selected her favourites based strictly on the colour of their dresses: Sleeping Beauty (pink!) and Rapunzel (purple!). No big surprise there!
I woke up a few weeks ago to an email from Baby Centre telling me that I was 30 weeks pregnant. I could hardly believe it. While I’ve certainly been aware of my expanding belly—unlike my first pregnancy, I’ve been much less focused on tracking the weeks and milestones this time around.
But 30 weeks could not be ignored. My daughter was born at 38 weeks. That’s just 8 weeks from now. Or two months. Or 56 days.
Being Jewish comes with a lot of baggage. Especially when you're having a baby. One such piece of baggage is the long-standing tradition of superstition which infiltrates many pre-baby activities. From showers, to naming, to preparing the nursery, to shopping for strollers, clothes and other gear. Apparently, it was once believed (and still is by many) that buying gifts in advance for an unborn baby (or even uttering the baby's name aloud) would be enough to draw the attention of 'dark spirits' (or the 'evil eye') marking the child for disaster.
This week I found myself in the Obstetrical Triage at Sunnybrook Hospital, checking to ensure that I wasn't in pre-term labour. I had been experiencing some cramping and contractions that were slightly reminiscent of early labour, and I needed to be sure that nothing was happening just yet. They took some tests and determined that, thankfully, I wasn't in labour (phew!). Then I went to see my OB, who advised me to "rest, avoid lifting heavy objects (a.k.a. my 30-pound toddler), and take care of myself for the next few weeks." Easier said than done, right?
When I first met Karen Schwartz—a mom of two and founder of Toronto's Kulture Klub—I was super impressed! Karen, who used to work for the famed teen travel company Westcoast Connection, had always been passionate about travel and loved nothing more than exploring new cities, navigating unfamiliar cultures, and immersing herself in the energy and excitement of being a tourist.
I can't believe it's already the middle of January. I've been avoiding 'real life' for the past few weeks and am finally getting back to work and reality.
As Dr. Kim Foster so eloquently put it in her post on healthy distractions, no matter what's going on in your life, "It is healthy to take time for yourself, to be with your family, and yes, to choose a few healthy distractions."
While I’m trying really hard this season to teach my daughter that there’s more to the holidays than presents, and toys, and STUFF—I must admit there is something completely heart-warming about watching her open a wrapped present and get totally excited about what’s inside. Especially when I know I’ve chosen well and I get a reaction like this one...
