Sigh. It's snowing outside. Again. The wind is pounding my house, snow sticking to my windows and my driveway is heavy with large chunks of the stuff. I know, it's winter and it's all part of it. It's just that I wasn't supposed to be in the winter season this week, I had plans to spend this week in the sunny south. Those plans rapidly disintegrated after this wild weather weekend, however.
In October of 2012 we booked our first flight vacation as a family of three. We were going to brave it and take our infant on a plane ride to a warmer place. The time we selected was in the middle of winter to escape the depressing snowstorms and slip into a time of shorts and sandles, something I have never done in the month of February. I was very excited to say the least.
As with any vacation, the anticipation is a large part of the fun. Imagining yourself sitting in a pool, shopping in outlet stores, visiting local attractions, seeing palm trees and feeling the warm sunshine on your face. There is a lot involved in going on one of these trips too. You get things ready. You purchase special travel items good for plane rides and away from home stays. You get passport pictures taken and apply for your passport. You eat all the food in your house so nothing goes bad. You do laundry. You pack and write lists so nothing is forgotten. You mentally start checking out of your every day life and start getting excited to get away from the mundane everyday chores - even if only for a little while. Then you sit and wait for that magic time when you leave for the airport to board your flight that will carry you into your much needed escape. All of that happened for me these last little while, all of it, except the trip to the airport and the plane ride.
About a week ago, I saw the dreaded 5 snowflake display on the Weather Network's display and the looming giant green snow bubble on the CBC weather report that was moving along the coast. Then they put a name on this storm - Nemo. I had a sinking feeling when I heard that this storm had a name that I may not be escaping the winter after all.
Well, Nemo found us and did he ever. A yucky windy day on Saturday led first to a delayed and eventually a cancelled flight. I wasn't super surprised, but I was disappointed. I got on the phone with the airline as soon as I read that dreadful word "cancelled" on the airport website and after 40 minutes on hold and another 45 minutes re-booking I felt good. Sure, we were losing 2 days of vacation but at least we were still going. And we had a better flight, it fit better around my little baby's schedule. I came to terms with what we had lost but looked forward to making the most of what we had left and focused my attention to waiting for our Monday flight.
On Monday morning, I got up and started to get ready to head to the airport. I kept checking the airport website and just about every time I discovered that we were delayed yet again. Suddenly our ideal flight time was getting less than ideal and arrival was later and later. Every second we were delayed was yet another second that we were missing out on our hard earned vacation. Not to mention what the waiting was doing to me. I had held it together after Saturday's cancellation but on Monday after the third delay I started to crack. Finally, the inevitable happened. Flight cancelled. Because it was now cutting into more than a third of our total vacation, we decided to cancel the entire trip, cut our losses and try again another time. Sigh.
So I had to unpack without ever having used anything in my suitcase. It had never been so tidy when it was unpacked! I had to switch gears and realize that there was hardly a scrap of food in the house and that I better get moving before any more weather hit and restock my cupboards. I needed to turn off the mental excitement and get back to the reality of winter. And I was sad. I had been so looking forward to this trip and just couldn't believe that I wouldn't get to be where I had dreamed of being for months.
So in attempt to stay positive here are some "it could be worse" statements that have helped me realize this isn't so bad.
- we did all of our waiting at home, not stuck in some airport or on a tarmack
- our trip was cancelled because of weather and not because of sickness or issues with us or our family
- we didn't have to take a partial vacation after the first flights were cancelled
- my son is too young to even notice what is going on so he is not crushed with disappointment
- baring any insurance red tape, we should get a refund and can re-book a new vacation for later
I feel for all those people who know exactly what I am talking about. We try to escape the season of winter, but mother nature is the boss and sometimes wants to keep us right where we are, irregardless of our plans. I will get over this and I'm one of those people that believes that everything happens for a reason. I am not quite ready to venture on any airline website and look for new vacation spots just yet, but I am getting there.
I'm pretty sure that I'm burned from ever wanting to book a vacation in the dead of winter ever again. I might as well keep my shorts boxed up until June.
Ah yes, another year over. Christmas presents unwrapped and put to use or returned, visitors packed up and gone home, leftovers all eaten or tossed away, decorations boxed up and stored away for next year. If your homelife is anything like mine, you can say that you found that Christmas came and went so fast it left you spinning.
We had one of the busiest Christmas seasons I have ever experienced in my life with only two days over the last 17 where we saw no one or did nothing. My son is the only grandchild on both sides of the family and he had a very busy time entertaining and keeping all of his extended family company. Despite my best efforts, his routine fell off track several times, and we had a couple of rough nights but all in all, it was worth it. That being said, I am eager to let him play in the quiet again, to have some time to explore his new toys in peace and not be constantly brought from one house to another, and to stop eating his meals in someone's arms or from his carrier. He was great throughout it all and I heard him laugh more often in these past two weeks than ever before. Someone told me on one of my many visits that Christmas is hardest on children and animals, as they have the hardest times re-adjusting to changes in their routine. I think my little guy handled it well, but I bet if he could say more than "mom-mom" and "baaaa" he would say "phew, glad I can have some quiet time now", haha.
New years brings with it that feeling of hope, fresh starts, the cliches of resolutions and new beginnings. I can't help myself, I feel like starting something new, and wiping clean some part of myself or my life that I can do better, or change, or even drop. I like to do a little de-cluttering of my life and look at where I am and see if that lines up with where I want to be. 2012 was a big year for me. I became a mom and spent the better part of my time not working, well, not outside the home at least. What I learned this year has amazed me and how my entire world is completely different, but one of the funny things is I am still basically the same person. Granted I have the title mother to proudly wear now but I have added so much more greatness to my life and came out happier than ever before, but I am still same ol me under all of it. My life has never felt so purposeful and has never been better.
I wonder what this year will bring? What will my son learn? This is the year he will walk, talk and transform from a beautiful baby to a handsome little boy. I am so eager for all the new milestones and events, but at the same time, I am hanging on to his last few months as a baby, desperately clinging to the memories that we are making. I am very hopeful for what this year will bring!
Happy New Year to all my readers and stay tuned for some posts on baby topics, relating to my growing son, in the coming weeks!
This will be momma's last post for 2012, taking my Christmas holidays to the fullest starting today.
Today's post is for all my readers, fellow mommas and daddies, their families and especially all little ones experiencing their first Christmas for 2012. Just a quick note to send along my wishes for a safe, happy and healthy holiday. May you eat too much, stay up too late, enjoy all guests, and see Christmas as it was meant to be seen - through your children's eyes. Let your inner child come out this year and soak it up. If it is baby's first Christmas soak up all the attention on him/her, the curiousity with the paper, packages, lights and food, and all new toys.
On a more sad note, I am reminded of all the families this year from Newtown CT who are going to have a very heavy and sorrowful Christmas. My heart hurts for each and every child, parent and teacher that wakes up with a missing piece this year, with a huge gaping hole that no amount of Christmas cheer will fill this year, and especially for all the victims who will not get to rush and see what Santa brought this year. It is so wrong that I am running out of words to describe just how awful it is.
My must for this tragedy - do something extra nice for someone this holiday in honor of this negative event. Bring some positive note to it, do not let the whole thing be in vain and keep them in your thoughts, especially when things like greed, frustration, disappointment and petty things like road rage start to get the better of you this season.
Take care, be safe and have a great holiday! Stay tuned for some momma topics upcoming in 2013! Thank you for your readership and feedback, I hope you will continue to read my new posts!
As I try to recall Christmases of the past, I am struck by how things have and will change this year more than any other, including the years that I first moved away from my parents. My infant son in his short life and stature has caused more changes than I have ever experienced at one Christmas or another.
Many of the changes are good or fun, one of the first things is how we have to be more careful with what we put out and where. Our living room saw many additions this year as the once wide and empty spaces suddenly were filled with an exer-saucer, a baby swing, a floor full of safety mats, endless toys, books, teddy bears and blankets. Trying to squeeze a tree in our already cramped living room was fun this year. We had to downsize some of our typical decorations or move them to other places - either we didn't have the space or it just wasn't safe to put them out. My son isn't quite crawling yet, but he rolls, kicks, shifts, and somehow ends up exactly where we try to prevent him from getting. We had to consider things he may get his hands (or his feet!) on and either move or remove the item from our normal Christmas decor.
Another thing is how already, Christmas has shifted to be all about him, in a good way! For fun, we have all the gifts under our tree (except the ones for him) are all from him. Seeing tags written with "To Mommy" and "To Daddy" brings a smile to my face. I know that he is not aware of Christmas or Santa yet, but we will do our best to include and expose him to our traditions to get him familiar. So far he's definitely curious about the tree and the colored packages that make a nice sound when he kicks the paper and he is enjoying my dancing snowmen and singing bells.
Family members are excited to have a baby in the mix this year as children really are what Christmas is all about. While we are excited to have our growing extended family coming and going around us, we are also a little wary of this too. Finding that balance between our own immediate family time and time to see all of the newly made aunts, uncles and grandparents may not always be easy. It will be busy, but we are going to try to have some of our own quality family time to set our own traditions and appreciate our new growing immediate family. Aside from this we are going to try to please all other family members in some way or another, realizing that they all can't be with us all the time and we will have to do our best.
Another area of caution we are aware of is the undoubted parenting "advice" we will recieve as a result of merely being around so many of our relatives for such an extended time. This is a very sensitive subject for all parties invovled, particularly when everyone will have the best interests of our little guy at heart. That being said there are certain things that will be tolerated and some things that won't, and finding that way to delicately address this is going to undoubtedly be a challenge. I personally don't want any tension building or feeling the need to defend my parenting choices, especially over a happy time like the holidays.
Another major change for us this year is what we are able to do. For the past number of years it has just been the two of us and we spent our holidays attending various dinners and parties, and hosting our share of these events- coming and going as we pleased. While we still have plans to attend/host this year, it will require some more planning time. We have to consider our son's schedule for meals and naps, and have ample supplies ready for our out-of- home activities. We cannot instantly commit to an event as sometimes we will require a babysitter. I am also determined to maintain his bedtime routine, so there are some events that we simply won't be able to attend. I'm not saying that I will never waiver from this rule, but it will be for a very special event if I do. It just isn't worth it to mess him up and end up being up all night with a fussy baby for weeks after Christmas is long over, trying to get him back on schedule.
It will take some juggling and a more flexible attitude this year than in previous years but ultimately, I am very excited to enjoy my son's very first Christmas. I hope to have the best experience possible with all of our loved ones. Looking forward to it!
It's that time of year. The time when your social calendar fills up, when all your friends and family try to squeeze in a visit or a party over a short period. I love it - the dinner parties, restaurant meals, coffee dates, holiday get togethers - it's great. This is my first time with a baby as a scheduling factor for these things.I've touched on this briefly with my posts about going out without baby in Mommy Time and with baby in Family Outings.
There are times when it is very appropriate to take baby with you. Afternoon events, early dinners, events with other children or special occasions are all acceptable to myself and my husband. However, having just become sticklers for his bedtime routine we are planning to be careful where we take him, and how long we stay. Having spent the last couple of months with a restless sleeper, I personally do not want to backtrack on any progress we have made. So as as hard as it is going to be to avoid certain outings or having to duck out early just when things are just getting good, I know it's a baby's world and I'm going to have to stick to it or pay the consequences.
Then there are times when bringing baby is not the best option. lt may be at a time too late in the evening, a place that it is innappropriate for a baby, or just an event that would be much nicer to do without having a baby to shift attention away from the evening's purpose. These times it is necessary to have a babysitter available to watch the little guy.
Having a babysitter requires a certain amount of preparation. First - I am still breastfeeing so I need to pump enough milk and ensure that it is properly thawed in advance. Second I need to consider if I have to pump while we're out - if I go too long it can get very uncomfortable, so I may make plans for that. Then I need to find an available sitter and ensure that I include enough time for my son to get used to him/her before I leave. He's at the stage where he sometimes gets a little spooked by people he hasn't seen in awhile and needs a little time to warm up. It also helps me to get ready if the person comes early. It can be hard to shower, blow dry, and primp with a baby in the house, at least on a time crunch. Finally, I need to have time to direct the sitter to the specifics for my child and the more time I allow the less likely I am to forget something.
I am very lucky to have a group of family members who are more than willing to sit for me and I feel so comfortable leaving them with my son. We have a no contact unless emergencies deal and I enjoy this rule. I am very much looking forward to our Christmas activities - both with my son and without him, both types are very important for us as a family!
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For those of you that saw me as a grinch in my Christmas Rush...already post, please don't judge me so swiftly. I am now ready and have officially been bitten by the Christmas bug.
This time last year I was about thirty pounds heavier and a thousand times more tired, with my little one all nestled inside, and wondering what Christmas of 2012 would hold when there would be another person in our home. The uncertainty I felt then feels so different now as look back. I was so excited to have a child here for Christmas and now that is my reality. I had been wary last year, worried I wouldn't have a clue what to do when my child was born but now a more confident parent fills that space. I'll probably never know exactly what to do about everything but I am much more sure of myself this Christmas than last year.
This year my son watched from his exer-saucer as myself and my husband decorated our home. Amidst the chaos of boxes of lights, garland, snowmen and Santas; there he was right in the middle of it. The faint clicking of the attached toys on his saucer filled the background as we scurried around and tried to fit our tree into our already cramped baby-friendly living room. I can hardly believe that he is here, I had memories wash over me as I pulled familiar decorations out of the boxes. Last year I had reminded myself when I put them away that the next time I saw them I would be a mommy. It's a surreal feeling remembering these thoughts.
I find myself listening to Christmas music all the time in the house now and hoping that my son enjoys the tunes. I point out Christmas icons to him such as Frosty and Santa, and chat to him about Christmas traditions. I want him to watch the Grinch with me when it comes on, read some Christmas stories, and can hardly wait for him to be old enough to appreciate Christmas movie classics like Home Alone and National Lampoon.
We took him to his first Christmas parade and while it was more for us, I feel like he really did get something out of it. Any sirens or loud noises scared him, but the remainder of the parade grabbed his curious attention. I watched his eyes dart between the waving clowns and dancing acts. I saw him look up at the characters walking down the streets. I like to think he enjoyed himself. I sure did and I feel more excited for years to come. They say Christmas is for children and I really believe this. His excitement will bring out mine and the excitement of everyone else in his life as he gets older.
The next few weeks will be busy, and busier perhaps because there is a baby with ever-growing needs in the mix this year. I find the space in my house filling up with decorations, presents and very soon, houseguests. My social calendar is rapidly filling up right through December - and I am loving it. I am not sorry that I resisted the Christmas feeling a couple of weeks ago, waiting a little longer has made it all the more worthwhile to me. That being said I am ready now and looking forward to what this season brings with it!
I am going to preface this post by saying that I really enjoy Christmas and the feeling that comes along with it. I love the songs, the wrapping presents, the cookies. I love the parties, the parades, the tv specials, and the busy time between Christmas and New Years. However, I'm just not ready for it yet.
I took my little guy out shopping this weekend and again today. I was disheartened at the craziness that has consumed the mall, and the now extremely dangerous parking lot for motorists and pedestrians alike. I spent over an hour simply arriving at the mall, doing one walk through and making a single purchase and then trying to get off the parking lot. It was absolute madness! It felt like the day before Christmas, not the month! Today I opted to try Costco as it was a Monday morning and thought it may be one of the slower days. It reminded me of a crazy Saturday, filled to the brim and horribly congested. I arrived early and there were no shopping carts left, clogged aisles and overflowing check outs. Drivers on parking lots have less patience, horns seem to honk more frequently; in the air there's the feeling - of rushing! I know this is part of the Christmas experience every year and maybe it's just me - but it seems like it starts earlier and gets crazier every year.
The shopping is one thing to notice, but I have heard Christmas songs already, seen lights lit up on houses, know people who are baking cookies and many who are already wrapping presents and trimming trees. I know I sound like a grinch and feel a "Ba-Hum Bug" in the air but I am really not. I love the Christmas feeling, but there is a time for that, and to me that time is just not here yet. I think we are wearing out Christmas if we start too early, taking away that simple feeling of making ourselves wait a little longer in anticipation. Maybe I'm old fashioned, or just plain conservative, but I want to wait a little bit longer before I start my typical holiday habits.
I know this is a controversial topic and for every person out there who shares my opinion there is at least one who completely supports the opposite and loves an early start to the Christmas season. For me personally, I just wasn't quite ready for that feeling to avoid crowds and trying to shop at "low" times just yet, I was hoping for another couple of weeks before the real craze started. Sigh. That's all.
I have always loved Halloween, and now I love it even more. I feel now that with a little one in the mix I get to be a kid again, getting to experience that fun of trick-or-treating.
Ok so my little guy is too small to know what's really going on. That didn't stop us from taking our time to select his costume, dress him up several times and take him around. We have family spread from one end of the city to the other so we took an afternoon over the weekend and had him go trick-or-treating there. Then we did a select few houses from our neighborhood. Everyone was so nice, giving out baby food for him and a couple of treats for mom. We managed to get together with a lot of his little friends for costume photo ops too...they were all sooooo cute.
I have always loved watching the trick-or-treaters come to my door, and hated missing that part when I used to go out myself when I was younger. Last night in the midst of a ringing doorbell and a crying baby I realized that from here on out Halloween will only get more fun. When he starts to select his own costume, pick houses he wants to visit, sort through his candy, still covered in make up when he gets home. Simplicity yes, but just such a nice feeling.
We made a point of decorating with him watching us, and showing him the spooky ghosts and witches, and reading him Halloween stories. I think that while he wasn't sure exactly what was happening he knew something was different. He was so well behaved in his costume too. Costumes have certainly come a long way since I was out years ago.
Momma's Musts
- Be a kid again! Enjoy as thoroughly as your child does these "kid" events. They are part of what life is all about.
- Involve your little ones. They may not know what is going on or be able to do much but expose them to what you are doing and try to bring it to their level as much as you can.
- Step away from the Candy! Do not gorge on all the left over treats or the ones that baby can't eat that you collected. Well, not all at once anyway, haha.
