Tag Archives: Motherhood

6-7 ways I’ve changed in the past 7.5 months

Mandela Day

It’s Mandela Day here in South Africa, a day when we’re all encouraged to spend 67 minutes to help make South Africa and the world a better place. I will be striving to do that for the next 67 DAYS as a part of #CarseatFullstop, so while it would obviously be great to go volunteer my time somewhere, at least I sort of feel like I’m making a difference. So instead, for Mandela Day, I want to look at the 6 or 7 ways my life has changed since Harley came into this world. Continue Reading

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1 Comment Marriage, Parenting, South Africa

How this mommy and baby class saved me and Harley

Toptots

With Harley now seven months old, I have enough distance from those early weeks and months to look back with some perspective. I’ve written about how traumatic her birth experience was, but even then I didn’t realize how traumatic it was and how hard it was going to make things with her. I was sick, she was so very premature, and we had quite a road ahead of us. I struggled to bond with her, I felt like everything was just so hard, and I was even resenting her. It was NOT good.

Luckily, while still pregnant, I had already decided that I wanted to try and find a nice mommy and baby class to attend once she was born. There are so many out there, so I wasn’t quite sure which one I’d go for. But I chatted to Geoff, my editor at Lazygamer, and his wife used to own a TOPTOTS franchise, so I decided to give them a whirl. It turns out, that was one of the best decisions I’ve made in the first six months of Harley’s life. Continue Reading

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4 Comments Child Development, Parenting, South Africa, Sponsored

Nothing is better than making my baby laugh

make my baby laugh

I love making people laugh. No, not enough to become a comic or something, and I no longer have dreams of pursuing a career in the performance arts. However, I love being able to crack people up, to make them smile, to make even the darkest and most horrible things that can happen in a life absolutely hilarious. I often say that Dean makes me laugh every day, and that’s why we work. But I have found my new favorite audience.

Sure, I love quick wit, and I adore truly intelligent comedy, but now I find myself not worrying about that. Instead, I will do absolutely anything to make my baby laugh. Her smiles are adorable, but her laughter is like crack – I need my fix! When she laughs, it’s as if everything is right in the world, and any sadness or frustration I might be feeling is utterly obliterated. Continue Reading

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1 Comment Breast feeding, Parenting, Rambling

Support networks and other necessary things

support network

Being a mom is hard. Actually, let me correct that, being a human is hard. Even before becoming a mom, I had plenty of ups and down in life. Life is hard no matter where you are, who you are and what your background is. Sure, there are some ways that things can be made easier, but no one lives a charmed life. However, being a mom feels even more trying because you often feel alone.

I don’t know what it is that’s so lonely about motherhood – maybe it the sleep deprivation, or the weird things your baby or partner does that you think can’t be normal and you must the only one experiencing. Maybe it’s all the weird comments or visuals we see on TV or online – those picture perfect moments where moms and babies just coo at each other and everyone looks happy and well rested, with perfect hair and clean clothes. Instead, so many women struggle with feelings of inadequacy, inferiority and painful loneliness. This is why we all need support networks. Continue Reading

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Comment Rambling

To Harley on her 7th month

Harley smile

 

Dear Harley,

I write this as you sleep on my chest. You’ve spent most of the morning either on me, or crying because you want to be on me. I’m a bit worn out, and struggling to get any work done, and yet I’m totally okay with that. You see, today you turn seven months old. You are so much bigger than you were seven months ago, and so much more fun. It was hard in the beginning with you, but now we have such a great time together, it feels like all the bad stuff has faded into distant memory.

At the moment, the hardest thing with you is your separation anxiety. It’s a new development, and a totally normal one. You see, you’ve finally figured out that you and I are two separate beings, and that I can be further away or closer to you. You obviously prefer being close. All the time. And as hard as it is when I need to work or eat or shower or sleep, it’s amazing to know that this tiny little person you are knows who I am, and wants me around. Continue Reading

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1 Comment Parenting