opinions

I'm a very opinionated person. When I know what I want, I'm not one to change my mind, and I almost always go with my gut instinct when it comes to decision making. I've been like for as long as I can remember. I don't hang around in a store for long, trying to decide whether I want to buy something or not. I simply make the decision or leave. I only tried on about 5 or 6 wedding dresses because I knew what I wanted as soon as it was on. And when it comes to parenting, I'm no different.

While I appreciate that everyone has different parenting styles, I don't really care to know about them in great depth. I enjoy talking with my mum, sister-in-law, and girlfriends who are parents, but beyond that, I'm not interested in what everyone else has to say. That may sound harsh, but there are just so many opinions out there, that you have to draw the line somewhere! Cal and I just parent the way our instincts tell us to, and I'm proud of that.

When I was pregnant with Lady M, about to be a first-time mum, every other mother out there had an opinion and wanted to tell me how to parent, how to birth, how to do everything. Horror stories about deliveries abounded, and were certainly never asked for! People wanted to tell you what to buy and what not to buy, how to deal with sleep, eating, nursing, and anything else they could think of. And more than anything, people seemed to find it very important to tell you "oh, you're going to be so tired!".

Yes, though I hadn't had a child yet, I assumed being tired was part of the game. I think the piece of 'advice' that bothered me most was when people would say "get your sleep now!". Well, how the hell is that going to help me three weeks from now, after I deliver a child and have to start raising it?! So, since becoming a parent, and understanding the sleepless nights in a different way, I have made it a priority never to suggest that a parent-to-be 'get their sleep now'.

However, the one thing I found many parents telling me in my pre-child days was 'they'll grow up so fast'. Well, that just may be the one thing I have repeated.

In less than a week, Lady A will be 6 months old, and Lady M will be celebrating her 3rd birthday, and I really keep questioning 'where has the time gone?'. Three years have zipped by in the blink of an eye, and my little Lady M has gone from infant to toddler, and is somehow now a little girl, who has interesting conversations with me on a daily basis. She has strong opinions (not sure where she gets that!), and a never-ending interest in everything around her.

My little Lady A has gone from helpless infant, to a sweet little baby who reacts to everything, smiles every time she hears her big sister's name, has found her voice, and is on the verge of crawling. So, in fact, they do grow up so fast.

I promise I'll never hear myself telling a parent-to-be to get their sleep, or offering unsolicited details about child delivery that people simply don't need to know. I promise not to be one of those more experienced parents who try to tell the newbie horror stories to scare them before their wee one arrives, or how they should sleep train, feed or nurse their child. However, you may just hear me saying that it all goes by in a flash, because three years have never passed so quickly in my life, until now.

waiting for the stork...

Right now, our life is just one big waiting game. Baby #2 is due next Saturday, but obviously could arrive any day now. I really have no idea when to expect him or her, seeing as I was quite overdue with Lady M. But, I know he or she will arrive when they're ready!

I have been reminded that I'm now under constant watch by everyone around me who is awaiting the news, since they won't receive the crampy and painful physical notice that I will when its time for this munchkin to arrive! I have to remember to respond quickly to all emails or phone calls, or the natural assumption becomes that I am in labour. No sign of labour yet - just hanging tight. Both Cal and I are pretty relaxed - probably the calmest out of everyone playing the waiting game, which I suppose is a good thing - but never fear, we'll tell you when the baby is here!

Lady M started preschool this past Monday and seems to be adapting quite well so far, likely due to the fact that she's been in a wonderfully structured and educational daycare since she was one. Its a bit of a change though because she is now the youngest in the class, whereas in daycare she was steadily climbing her way to the top! But, since she's going to be a big sister, and undoubtedly possesses my ability to be ever-so-slightly bossy, being the 'little one' may be a good thing for her!

I'm on week two of my maternity leave, which is lovely. In fact, its a bit of a treat that the baby hasn't made his or her appearance quite yet because its giving Lady M and I some Mummy & Me time, which I am soaking up every minute of. On non-preschool days, we're waking up to tea and crafts...what more could you ask for?! My colleagues threw me a baby shower before I finished work and gave me a beautiful diaper bag stuffed full of craft supplies which are now being put to good use. In so many ways, I think its important for Lady M and I to have this special time before our world turns upside down someday soon.

So, I will continue to wake up each morning, check the date in case it becomes the birthday of my new baby, and enjoy tea, crafts, fun and games with my beautiful munchkin until the time comes to meet the newest addition to our family and change our routine a little.

 

where have the months gone?

Its been a while since my creative juices have been flowing. Its been so long since I've written, I suppose, that somehow I'm now six months pregnant with my 2nd munchkin, and sporting a lovely pregnant belly! I seem to have lost a great deal of time in there having suffered from morning sickness for about four months, and by the time I made it through my work day, came home and played with Lady M and got her to bed, writing with a little bit of creative flair was the furthest thing from my mind!

Thankfully, in the midst of all of this, while I could barely stand walking into my kitchen, let alone think of making dinner, my darling hubby kept the house in check. Not that he doesn't help with the cooking in a regular week, but he really had to step up his game for a bit there!

By the beginning of December the sickness had subsided (phewf!) so my mum, Lady M and I took a little jaunt to Florida to visit our family and do some pre-Christmas shopping. (For the record, I have never shopped so early for Christmas in my life! I'm totally a Christmas Eve kind of girl, and I like it that way.) So, between our trip, and then the insanity that is Christmastime, its suddenly January!

In that time, Lady M seems to have grown several inches (judging from the fact that her pants are all now sitting at her ankles when we put them on in the morning), she has begun to display the classic two-year old tantrum tendencies, and we have officially entered the 'why' stage of life. Ahh, yes. Its been a busy couple of months!!

So, now that I feel like myself again (and am in the so-called 'honeymoon trimester'), I'll do my best to share some stories of what is happening in our world again. Certainly my two-year-old monkey provides lots of entertainment these days, and keeps Cal and I laughing all the time. Hopefully some stories will make you laugh too!