To Do List revisted

Remember this?

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm on my way to crossing off all the items on the second list. Here are some pics...

The first meal I had after coming home from the hospital, was, of course, SALMON SASHIMI.

Mr.S doesn't eat raw fish (I know, he's totally missing out) so this was ALL MINE!

Breaky on the first Friday after Mr.d was born. (I decided to save it for a no-meat Friday during Lent.)

I've also since had my runny eggs, blue cheese and honey :)

And, I'm happy to be back to sleeping on my tummy and wearing my wedding ring!

He's DEFINITELY my son

A few days ago while holding him just as he was dozing off to dreamland,

he farted.

And then he laughed.

And then went back to sleep.

A New Hobby

Sniffing my son. All day long.

Spring

The past few weeks have been nice and sunny here in Toronto. The onset of warmer weather and sun always makes me feel like doing one thing: running.

Even before winter ran out the door (didn't it feel like that's just what it did?), I was feeling the itch. I look around outside now and see people going for their runs everywhere. Some of them have even shed their running tights and heavier running jackets and are sporting shorts and dri-fit long sleeve tops. I try to tell myself that I'll be back out there in no time, meanwhile, my legs get smaller and wimpier. They're itching to be out and about. My inbox has been flooding with emails about the races coming up and how the rates are getting higher so register now, about adjusting to warmer weather...

In the meantime, I'll be going on walks with my son in his stroller. We went for one just last week with Mr.S after he came home from work and it was just as fulfilling, maybe even more, as a 10k run.

In time...in time...

Thoughts on Mommyhood - 12 days in

I've been a mother officially for 12 days now (although really, I considered myself a Mother when we found out we were pregnant). The things I feared about post-pregnancy haven't happened, namely that I'd be so tired I'd be miserable and therefore rendered useless to my husband and my son (I actually feared this more than labour. TGFE -Thank God for Epidurals).

It turns out that adrenaline, energy and patience are also delivered with the baby. My sister just mentioned a few days ago some of the most valuable information I read when I was still pregnant and trying to figure out the whole mother thing. One of our favouritest bloggers wrote about her mother and her self-centeredness. It wasn't self-centeredness in the traditional sense of the term. It was about how her mother made sure to take care of herself while also caring for her children so that she could be a happier mother -- happy mommy, happy children. I've taken this to heart and have found that so far, it's a good philosophy to go by. I feel good about myself; I'm showered, I'm made up (if I'm going out) and dressed, recovering and resizing a lot quicker than I had anticipated ("The Bin" is now repacked and my old clothes have come out of hibernation :) YAY!!), and I think it's all translating into being more organized (my sisters can't emphasize the importance of this enough when it comes to having kids and I completely understand now), more patient, more content, more energized and more ready for the day.

Another thing I read as recommended by my other sister was an article written by Alison Sweeney on some valuable advice given to her by her mother when she started having kids. It was that when you have your first child, act as if you already have an older child. This sounds a little off-setting at first because it sounds like it promotes neglecting your child but it helps you realize that you can relax when your child is crying and in turn could teach your child to relax too. I think maybe it also lays the ground work for enstilling patience and the ability to self-soothe in your child even if it just means things like waiting a few extra seconds to answer his cry or opting not to carry him all day long despite how much you want to. So far, Mr.d has been falling asleep on his own if we leave him lying awake and has sometimes been comforting himself when he's crying, so we'll see if he likes and learns from this whole practice.

I won't deny that I've been very emotional though. I've never cried so many tears of joy (and I was crazy dehydrated leading up to our wedding day. Let me remind you that I also did the ugly cry while walking down the aisle). Mr.S has gotten to a point where he's not sure if I'm happy or sad, so he has to check. I think sometimes it shocks him at how often I cry these days. We'll be talking and then he'll stop and be like, "Are you crying again? What's wrong?" And my response these days is always, "Absolutely nothing." I feel so full of joy and my heart feels full. I've arrived at where I've wanted and meant to be and it feels so good.

This all just feels so right. We're totally getting ahead of ourselves, but Mr.S and I have already started talking about Baby#2. I wonder if we can really wait as long as we said we would...

The Milkman

The milkman has been too generous. My milk has arrived and I think I will have to prepare a makeshift bra from large potato sacks because my breasts are larger than my son's head. Seriously? Seriously. They are also hard as rocks. Well, not really, but they're as hard as those I imagine when people tell me how fake breasts feel. That feeling of my skin stretching over my belly has now moved north and doubled.

HOLY COW.

I was warned though. My sisters and all the books told me allllll about this part of motherhood and yet I'm still surprised at how naive I was to believe that maybe I wouldn't get so big. I didn't think it was possible for them to get so huge and so hard!! Hopefully, this is just my engorgement size and not what my regular size will be. This is INSANE!!!

Another leaf

It's 2:58AM.

There is silence in our home, a peacefulness of the greatest kind. This peace is echoed in my heart and soul. And the joy that I feel is resounding.

Then comes the most beautiful sound heard among all these things. It comes from my son. He is here, and I look at him and am reminded of so many things; among them are the love and life I share with my husband, the mother I've wanted to be and am now given the opportunity to become, and the love of He who blessed me with so much. I am so, so grateful and so, so humbled at the mere thought that this is my life now. I'm finally here and at the same time I wonder how I got here so quickly.

And so, I turn over another leaf. Life just gets better and better.

Bellywatch 2010 - 38 weeks

One last one! (I know, I look crazy-tired)

And another...

My sister told me about this one. It was hard not to pee my pants. Haha! Enjoy!

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

Actually, I wasn't.

I managed to watch it! Yay me! (I also now secretly wish that the Mad Hatter was my bff.)

I also managed to visit Queen Station...

March 4

Today is somewhat of a hard day. It is every year, and well, that's expected. I think of all the days of the year, my siblings and I share a little bit of a heavy heart all day long, all together. I think some time during this day, we, at some point, go back to 22 years ago and scenes from that day flash in our minds. I find myself shooing them away like they're mosquitos on a sunny hot summer day. Today though, I find that I don't want to think about 22 years ago. I want to think about today.

I went out with two of my sisters (and my niece and nephew) to visit Mommy. Although it's nice and sunny outside, it's also a little chilly. We couldn't clear off her stone, but we know that the mild temperatures coming up this weekend will melt it all away. We said our prayers, talked to her, talked to each other.

I found myself saying, "Thank you" over and over again in my conversation with my mother. There's so much I have to thank her for, so I couldn't be specific at the time, but all the things I am thankful for have been running through my mind all day...

...for giving me life

...for giving me my sisters and brother

...for teaching me directly and indirectly through my siblings

...for inspiring me

...for giving me even more to look forward to in this life and the next

...for looking after my little boy while we get ready

...for being around all the time

...for looking after all of us

...for being such a wonderful of example

The list goes on...

Thank you, Mommy. I love you.

Introducing...

It's not much to look at (I'm no web designer, that's for sure), but it's got the basics. I'm missing a ton of pics (I keep forgetting to take pictures), but there's some eye candy there. Enjoy!

Stuff like this...

...makes me wanna pop this kid out RIGHT NOW.


Thanks Shai!

Maternity Leave

I'm marking today as my first day of maternity leave. My last day of work was on Friday. I'm proud of myself -- I got most of my work done (i.e. all the reasonable stuff on my 2010 To Do List that I could actually finish). My last week of work was a whirlwind. I was training people all week and at the same time wrapping up work, referring my clients to their new contacts, finishing up contracts, going to appointments, ugh, it was crazy. BUT, I also got to lunch with my friends (and my coworker-friends tomorrow...because we didn't get to last week) and had one last lunch with my sister on my last day (we work together). There was also a surprise baby shower for us too!! And Mr. S was there, which was the biggest surprise of all (and it's very hard to surprise me...I admit, I sorta knew about the office shower, but that didn't take away from the fun of it at all!). It was just a really great week at work and had me feeling a little sad to go, which I didn't expect.

This weekend, we finished up our prenatal class. At the end of it, we had made some friends, but also we had to write down the things we found most helpful on an evaluation form. To be honest, I felt like I knew most of the stuff already, thanks to all the stories I've heard from sisters, cousins, mothers, aunts and other female friends, but I think Mr. S learned a lot....and to my benefit. On the evaluation form, I put down two things:
1. Comfort measures
2. Birthing and labour techniques
i.e. The things that Mr. S can do to make my life easier. HAHA!

It turns out that one of the things we learned came into play in the middle of the night last night. I had my second (ever and hopefully last) leg cramp. We learned how to effectively get rid of it, together (other than me having to flex my foot until it disappeared). I felt it coming, woke up and said (note: I did NOT yell!), "Oh no! Oh no! Leg cramp! Leg cramp!" and like he was doing it in his sleep, Mr.S got up, did this thing, and when it was gone, gave me a kiss and plopped back down on his pillow. That, in itself, was worth the money we spent on the course (I don't remember how much that was, now that I think about it).

This weekend was also our baby shower, thrown for us by our families. It was a crazy but oh-so-fun day, with it being our families and close friends...around 150 people. Yes, we're THAT big. It was so nice to see everyone and although we missed a few people, we remembered them all day. I can't even begin to express how wonderful a day it was, and to top it off, Canada won the hockey game, giving Canada the most number of gold medals by a host country and EVER! The evening was closed at our house, opening the gifts and watching the closing ceremonies together...OH, and MORE EATING.

Yesterday, Mr.S took the day off so we could put away all the gifts, do some shopping and finally finish up the baby's room. We had a bunch of errands to run as well and were also wickedly tired, so we didn't finish, but it's nice to know we've got everything and just need to find homes for it all. We got so many amazing baby gifts from everyone and have yet to play with everything, but that's what the next few days/weeks are for...heehee...

I've got my first massive load of baby laundry to fold (in addition to our own laundry!), so I better get on with my day.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

And speaking of winter games...

...I've been having crazy dreams (crazier than usual, that is) of snowboarding. I think all the snowboard cross I was watching, in addition to the fact that we had to pack away our snowboards, again, untouched this winter, was driving my subconscious crazy. Plus, the recent huge snowfall had some really nice snow that made me want to secretly unpack my snowboard, put it on the powdery white ground, and just sit.

In some of my snowboarding gear...
In my living room...
In 2008...
WOMP WOMP!

Ohhhhhhhh CANADA!!!

I don't think there's much I can say that hasn't already been said, or anything I can say I feel that my fellow Canadians don't feel. We're all proud to be Canadian! These Olympics have been wonderful, not just because they were hosted in our country, but also because our athletes and everyone involved did such an exceptional job. I wish we could have gone to the west coast to check out some of the festivities, but, of course, there are such things as flight restrictions for pregnant women.

I admit, I don't usually watch much of the winter Olympics. I tune into the figure skating and that's pretty much the extent of it. I think with all the work that went into the games this year, helping us get to know our athletes, more exposure to the goings on throughout the country, I found myself submersed in the games, looking forward to watching whatever events were televised. There was ALWAYS something to watch on TV and I enjoyed it. I think it also helped me to enjoy the winter, given that I haven't been able to play outside.

And so, a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to all the athletes, all the performers, all the committees, those who organized, those who volunteered, those who worked tireless hours towards making the games what it was for all of us (YAY Sheryl and Marc!!) and to all Canadians for showing so much support, enthusiasm and patriotism.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!