The Hippy Mom

I tell you what...motherhood these days is cutthroat. For every decision you make there is someone just around the corner that has done it the completely opposite way - with better results. This equation starts before motherhood actually begins and then it continues for as far as the eye can see. Birth at home or in hospital? medicated or not? bottle or breastfeed (and/or extended breastfeeding)? co-sleep or crib? cloth or disposable diapers?  It's an overwhelming black hole in which no matter how hard you try, you get sucked in. After a particularly rough day in which I questioned all my parenting decisions as a result of listening to women who seem to have this whole 'motherhood' thing figured out, i went home and pleaded with  google to find someone, somewhere who feels the way i do.

this blog was so perfect because she hit the mark exactly in terms of highlighting the distinct divide that is palpable between mom's these days. Her sentiments on the revival of the hippy mom mirror mine to a tee. thanks google.

Like Cassandra (the author) i am also down with alot of hippy practices; cloth diapers, organic foods, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, etc. I am just not religious about it.

Let's all just love our babies,
danielle.

My Girl

My sister took this photo today and i can't get over it. I have never come across a happier, calmer and more un-assuming baby in my life. She think i'm hilarious, and is always excited to see me or her sister.

She is so perfect.

danielle.

Little E.

The Holidays are over. What a Whirlwind they were.

I thought I would take this opportunity while the babies sleep to update on little e.

She has grown so much and changes still everyday. She has adjusted wonderfully to our new addition and has really grown into the role of "mommy's helper".

Here are some photo's of little e. and some of the things she loves...


Reading to Ozzie. We have found her all over the house in her "seat" with the dog covered in a blanket while she reads to him. When i come around during her Ozzie reading sessions she yells "no mom!", to which i take that to mean "i'm busy, go away" she just isn't that articulate yet... It's actually pretty funny to see. I don't think Ozzie knows what to make of it :)

 

Eating popcorn at daddy's soccer game, but really eating popcorn anywhere pretty much tops her list.

 

 

Taking Ozzie on a walk. Although he is not in this picture he is around somewhere. Almost every morning she wakes and says "Ozzie walk?" Not only does she love to walk Ozzie she has to hold the leash, it can be a fairly time consuming event as she often drops the leash, and doesn't like anyone else to hold it.

 

 

Christmas morning. This year was so fun as she understood the whole event much better than ever before and got to share her excitement with her baby sister:) 

 

 

 

Other things that little e. loves that aren't so well documented are Eggo waffels, the ABC's and "Yo Gabba Gabba". She is such a fun personality that I've really enjoyed spending my days with her. Can't wait to watch her grow more in 2013!

 

 

 

Welcome Baby Girl!

We have a new family member over here, and we couldn't be happier.

 

The arrival of our new bundle has been a major adjustment. She is so sweet, and gorgeous i want to snuggle her all day. I think back to the time when it was just one baby at home and how simple things were (not to be confused with easy). Baby E. was a hard baby, but getting through the day (feedings, potty training, naps etc..) on two very different schedules is more complex than i thought. 

 

 

So far her personality is fairly different from her big sister. She loves bath time, her soother and being swaddled, all things baby e. detested from day one. I have a feeling she will be my artsy child :)

 

 

I love babies.



Thanks for catching up with us!

danielle.

Is it possible to be too invested in your family?

Please forgive me, if this blog turns into a wild, emotional rant that goes nowhere in particular. In my very pregnant state, i think that happens more than i'd like to admit. But in case that is where this blogs heads...be forewarned that there is a real 'thought' behind this post.

Every once and awhile, this thought rears its ugly head as I am callously reminded of how I may be way too invested in my family. Let me explain.. I'm sitting here now somewhat shattered because my husband decided he would like some father/daughter time away at his family's cabin this weekend. It's only one night and the better part of two days, but...it's the weekend (weekends are treasured to me). The point of this particular weekend is that my attendance is not exactly 'required'. It was a hard blow to take. Once he saw how hurt i really was he followed with "you can always come if you'd like". With my remaining pride (the small amount that wasn't all over the floor at the mere mention of the idea of the weekend away from mom) i declined.

Devon was blown away that I wouldn't see this as an opportunity to relax, sleep in, go for coffee...etc. I see it as a punishment, a game of killing time until my family is back together. Why are our views so different? Is it a gender thing? do men have this ability to disconnect when needed? or just my husband? His theory is that in being SO invested in my family and it's daily happenings, i have completley divested myself of my life as girl of 26. I have let friends, family, hobbies and interests fall the way side to make way for the supposed betterment of my family.

Is this so wrong?

My whole heart in is my family and everything it does, I don't think I can say that about much else in my life. Looking back on my conversation with devon, it seems that perhaps my family, like most everything in my life has struck an unhealthy balance of total consumption.

I clearly don't have any answers right now, but i know that one day i would like to obtain the kind of relationship where i'm not a complete mess at the thought of being away from devon and e. So, I guess i'll work on re-integrating myself into life outside my family, and for now.. i will go clean something..

danielle.

Side note: let me know if you read this blog, I suspect no one does besides my sister Alana.
Don't be shy, because i often talk myself out of writing a blog, and take the shorter route of just calling alana directly :)

a little honesty

This girl, she is wearing me down. For awhile now, she has decided she doesn't feel like sleeping through the night anymore. It's been around a month, maybe a little more than a month where she won't sleep right through. She cries and screams in her crib for us, and one of us takes her out re-fills her bottle and lays with her for around an hour and attempts to place her back in the crib. this usually results in a bit more crying - but she eventually falls off again I don't know what sparked this, or how to get back.

Bedtime is great, she goes down beautifully with her bottle around 730 and we hear nothing until sometime between 1-4am, she gets up and stays up. I have entertained every possibility (teeth, growth spurt, anxiety etc.) but i'm at a loss. I feel like i've hit an all time low in parenting. I can't help but cry as i feel my frustration rise night after night of her wanting to be awake for no apparent reason. anyone else felt this low? this utter loss at how to remedy this situation has left me gutted.

I'm quite surprised we haven't had complaining letters from the surrounding apartments about the noise baby e. makes at all hours.

Anyways, just thought i'd share what's going on.

danielle

Updates,Updates,Updates!

I'm back.

this blog update has been a long time coming! so much has happened in the last few months that can account for my absense. Namely, my job. I got an incredible position working downtown vancouver for the federal government within Aboriginal Affairs. I was hired on a term assignment which just ended on march 31st. It was the best job i've ever had, and to be honest aside from starting my own business (something i've always wanted to do, and hopefully someday will) a life time career in public service is where i want to be. I was hired in the strategic planning department and loved it. Although the job itself was great, it was still hard having baby e. in daycare full time and devon and i would walk through the door exhausted but still had a full evenings worth of stuff to get done (ie. dinner, dishes, walk the dog, bath time, stories and bed time with baby e.) By 7:30-8 we were finally done everything and would crawl into bed shortly after that. The time flew by.

Enter baby #2. We found out in january that this september we will be welcoming our new baby! we are all thrilled and anxiously looking forward to the new arrival, but this pregnancy has been so so different. I was much much more ill this time around, and SO SO exhausted. Way more than with baby e. I told our doctor i was sure that i was having twins because i'm so exhausted all the time. It was a trying time to be so sick and tired all day long and have so much in front of you every single day. But things are changing..

Work is done now, and baby e. is out of daycare and home with me. My pregnancy symptoms have been subsiding more and more with each passing week, so i feel like the fog has lifted!

Thanks for checking in!
danielle