Browsing Category: Parenting

World Prematurity Day – An open letter to Harley’s NICU nurses

Dearest sisters,

I came around for a visit to the NICU with Harley yesterday, wanted to show off just how big she’s gotten. I wanted to show you all how far she’s come, how much she’s grown. I brought a cake and snacks and whatever else I could think of that would be nice for the team, a nice treat for all of you. But nothing I could buy, nothing I could give you could ever compare with what you gave to me. It was so wonderful seeing you all, taking pictures of you with an almost-year-old Harley – even if she did cry in all the pictures.

Growing up, I remember seeing donation tins for The March of Dimes. They used to be next to the check out counters in the drug stores in New York, and I would always look at them, but never really noticed what they were about. In fact, even last year I didn’t really pay attention to this day. I was already a mommy blogger, and I saw some of the other moms writing about it, but I don’t think I even read the posts. Oh how times have changed. Continue Reading

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6 Comments Parenting, Preeclampsia, South Africa

Baby swimming lessons – for safety, development and fun

swimming class

Harley has been going for swimming lessons for a few months now, and I can’t get over how far she has come. I told you a while back when I reviewed her cool swimming nappy that I would tell you more about the classes themselves, and I feel like I’ve tested them for long enough to give you a detailed and honest assessment. Swimming lessons are quite possibly the best thing I ever could have done for Harley.

As we move into summer, I’m sure many of you will be heading to the pool. It’s a great way to cool down, to have fun as a family, and with the current water restrictions it can even help cut down on bath times. But I’m sure plenty of you are a bit nervous about your little ones in the water – when is it safe to start them swimming and how do you introduce them to the water, let along teach them how to swim? Well, thanks to the swimming lessons at Aqua Marine Aquatics Academy, not only is Harley doing well with all those things, but I also feel confident to hang out with her in the water. Continue Reading

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3 Comments Parenting, South Africa, Sponsored

A gamer’s thoughts on screen time

I am a gamer, a geek, and a lover of all things tech and gadgetry. Before my little one came along, there was nothing more relaxing than a weekend spent chilling with Dean at home, each playing our video games of choice, perhaps binging on some series on Netflix. I’m often guilty of the second screen thing, too, where I’ll be watching TV or playing a game while simultaneously checking messages or social media on my phone or tablet. When it was just the two of us, I never really worried about it – sure, we’d lose ourselves in our virtual worlds, but Dean and I would also enjoy an evening sitting outside sharing a bottle of wine. We could dive deep into our screen time, but then also have fun cooking together, or going out to see friends, or travel off on a fun adventure.

Since Harley came along, I’m much more aware of screen time – not just hers, but also mine and Dean’s. She is 11 months old and figured out a while ago that grabbing for my phone would always get my attention. Granted, it’s a valuable device that I don’t want thrown on the floor, but I wonder if she also realizes how often I’m holding onto it and by grabbing it she is sure to be noticed. But it’s not about absolutes with me. I still love gaming, I still love series, and one day soon I hope for a VR headset of my own. It’s not that screen time is somehow inherently evil, but it certainly needs to be monitored. Continue Reading

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4 Comments Geek, Parenting

A pause at 11 months

11 months

Today, Harley is 11 months old. I honestly feel dumbfounded about it. I know time keeps marching on, I understand that the older we get, the faster time seems to move. And everyone warned me that having a baby makes time go even faster. I get all of that, and yet I simply can’t understand where the last 11 months have gone. How can Harley be so big already? How can so many months have passed?

It’s tempting to look at this milestone as almost a year. She is almost a year old, it’s been almost a year since she came into our lives… and yet, that somehow seems to undermine the impact of 11 months. It’s not quite a year, it’s something different. It’s something that still deserves a celebration, and moment to pause and look back on the time that’s elapsed and the time that’s ahead. I mean, after this milestone, I doubt I’ll be counting months anymore. From here on out, it will be years, and they will still go screaming past. So, here’s a break, a breather, to think about 11 months. Continue Reading

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2 Comments Parenting, Rambling

Just Quit

just quit

I like to think that I’m a pretty ambitious person. I’m continually challenging myself, pushing myself to do more, to be more. It’s a quality that sounds great on a job interview, but doesn’t always work out to make me relaxed and happy. It’s because I like to dream big, to imagine doing more and more, to watch my career grow, that sometimes I end up feeling overwhelmed or inadequate. I know a big part of it is the mom guilt crap, but I’ve rediscovered my ultimate cure for it.

You see, growing up, I also liked doing a lot of cool extra things. I’d get involved in drama productions, join musical groups, take part in the Model United Nations, and any number of other extra activities. And sometimes, I would feel like I had too much to do, that I couldn’t handle it all. My mom was always very encouraging, reminding me that I could do anything I set my mind to. But she would also always give me a clear alternative – Just Quit! Continue Reading

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2 Comments Parenting, Rambling