Tag Archives: Baby

Kids or friends

I have some wonderful friends. Some of them have come through for me in massive ways, supporting me while Harley was in the NICU, coming over for wine or meeting for lunches since she’s been home, and generally just being awesome and supportive. I remember trying to do the same when I had friends with babies – going to their house if easier, being the one to reach out more because I figured they were busy, that sorta thing. It just makes me sad to realize that I’m also losing friends now.

Before Dean and I decided we wanted to spawn a minion, he told me that I could choose, kids or cats. I opted for cats, and we have two adorable furry babies. Unlike those little ones, though, it seems that procreating has gotten in the way of my social life. At least for some friends. But I’m wondering how much of a bad thing that is. Continue Reading

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On breastfeeding, 5.5 months in

breastfeeding gorilla

There was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted to breastfeed my little one. Before I knew that I was having a little girl, I knew that I wanted to nurse her. Back then, there were so many reasons that I thought I knew – it was healthier, “breast is best” and it’s free. What more could I want? Besides, I figured that my mom was a La Leche League leader back in the day, so she could help me if I ran into any problems. So, with everything sorted, I figured that was that. But it’s been so different than I imagined.

First of all, I never would have thought that my first couple months on this journey would mean pumping instead of nursing. Thanks to Harley being so premature and in the NICU for 5 weeks, I had to pump for her and deliver the milk every day. Then she came home and simply wouldn’t latch. I was devastated about it, but at least she was still getting the good stuff with the pumping. Thankfully, once she was a bit bigger, she latched like a champ, and has been a boobie monster ever since. That has come with its own unique ups and downs. Continue Reading

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6 Comments Breast feeding, Parenting

Missing something is the best sign

I went to an event yesterday. It was in the middle of the day, and ended up taking me away from home for quite a bunch of hours. I was so grateful to have my mom around – she was able to watch Harley and keep in the loop about how things were going so that I could just try to enjoy myself. After being out for over three hours, Harley was starving and my boobs were bursting and we had a wonderful reunion. But it was more than feeding time; I was missing her.

When I’ve missed her before, it was sort of like leaving the house without your bag. It felt like something was missing and I was worried the whole time. But now that Harley is developing her own personality, I actually missed her. Not the idea of her, not nursing or whatever else, I missed her silly smile and laugh. I wanted to cuddle her and love her. And it was the most wonderful sign for me. Continue Reading

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Why Tummy Time matters and how I keep it interesting

Tummy Time

When I was still pregnant, I started reading about tummy time. I knew it was good for babies, but I wasn’t quite sure why. Especially in the early months, it seemed a bit useless and impossible, but I did it anyway. Now I’m seeing the results, and I can’t recommend it enough. But what is tummy time and why does it matter. And even more importantly, how can you make sure that you and your little one enjoy it?

The first thing to always remember is that babies are advised not to sleep on their tummies. By putting your little one down to sleep only on her back, you vastly reduce her risk of SIDS (aka Cot Death). Tummy time isn’t about sleep, it’s about active, attended time for playing and developing. In fact, tummy time is incredibly important for development – by holding up their heads babies develop their neck, shoulder, back and trunk muscles, all of which are important for turning over, sitting up and crawling. Harley loves tummy time, but that’s probably because of how I introduced her to it and how we keep it fun. Continue Reading

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5 Comments Child Development, Parenting

I’ve changed my mind about baby photoshoots

When I was booking my bed in the hospital, what feels like a lifetime ago, I was offered the option of having a newborn shoot done right in the ward. It was an opportunity to capture the baby’s earliest moments, and I politely declined. I’m still so glad that I did, because the pictures of Harley in the NICU make me so sad even though she is fine now. However, at the time when I declined, I had no idea I’d have a preemie, but I still didn’t want pictures of her then – I thought all babies had a face like a foot when they’re born and I didn’t want the typical clichéd photoshoot with her. I still don’t want the cliché, but I’ve changed my view of photoshoots in general.

Over on Tums 2 Tots, I wrote about the wonderful experience that I got to have with Salomé from Yellow Lab. She did an amazing photoshoot with me and Harley, and we had such a great time doing it. It was relaxed and fun, and I never once felt awkward about needing to feed the little princess or change her nappy. Instead of constantly apologizing for Harley being a baby, it felt welcomed and normal, which meant that I could breathe and just enjoy the experience. But even more than the fun experience, the final product has completely changed my opinion of baby photoshoots. Continue Reading

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6 Comments Rambling