NaBloPoMo Day 30: Married With Secrets

Hubby and I got married in 2006.  One would think that after being married for a few years, we'd know some very important facts about each other.

On the weekend, I discovered a very important fact that my husband conveniently forgot failed to tell me! Yes, people! He's been  holding out on me and this secret can potentially change our lives as we know it.

My husband can cook.

That's right. For the past few years, I have been cooking 99% of our meals when all along, the man can cook! I knew he was great with the BBQ (the guy makes a wicked potato dish on the BBQ that is perfectly paired with his steaks!). I knew he could make a tuna and macaroni salad. He can do a mean "farmer's breakfast" (bacon, eggs, sausage, etc).

However, I had no idea that he could actually "cook"!

Artsy Teacher Mom and I were so exhausted from our Mommy Misadventures, where we conveniently managed to get ourselves stranded in a the middle of traffic, in a city two and a half hours away from home, in the winter...with our toddlers and a baby.


Artsy's husband had to come fetch us, the kids, and our purchases. When Artsy's husband brought us back to the Island, Hubby had an amazing feast prepared for us upon our arrival. He made a beef stew with curry, potatoes, chickpeas, corn, herbs, and some other mouthwatering items!

I was in complete and utter shock. The aromas that permeated the air as we entered our home were divine! How could Hubby not tell me that he was capable of something like this? We'll be married five years in June and I'm always surprised at the new things I learn about Hubby. He never ceases to shock and amaze.

Psssst! I did it! I survived NaBloPoMo! I posted every day for the month of November! 

NaBloPoMo Day 29: Tangled

Many of us are familiar with the story of Rapunzel.  You  know the fairytale.  Young girl is trapped in tower, hidden from the world outside her.  Dashing young man comes and rescues her. Blah, blah, blah.

Disney has put a twist on the fairytale of the young girl stuck in her tower and striving to find independence. Though the story is simple and all the classic Disney components are present (beautiful young girl, strapping young lad, animal sidekick, evil older person, magical elements, romantic interest, obstacles, adventure, catchy music and lyrics, and a happy ending), I'd have to say that Tangled is not just your ordinary run of the mill love story.

The story opens with the king and queen and their happy kingdom. There's mention of a selfish old woman (Mother Gothel) who tries to hide a flower with magical powers so that she can stay young forever. The queen falls ill and drinks from the magic flower and thereby receives its magical healing qualities. The magical healing powers get transferred to Baby Rapunzel and Mother Gothel kidnaps her.

Fast forward 18 years later, and Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) has grown up knowing only the life Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) has taught her. Sheltered from the outside world, Rapunzel seeks something greater. She wants to see and learn what life is like beyond the confines of her tower walls.

Mother Gothel uses the magical powers from Rapunzel's hair to maintain her youthful looks. Meanwhile, Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi), a wanted bandit happens to find Rapunzel's tower and hides out there. To his surprise, he encounters a long-haired, frying pan toting Rapunzel.

What I loved about Tangled is that this this wasn't simply an in-your-face-girl-power-love-sucks-I-don't-need-a-man-to-rectify-my existence story, but more about Rapunzel's journey to finding her own independence, and her new self-awareness. She just happens to find love in the process of discovering this.

Though Mother Gothel's character gives the presence of a slightly evil, selfish older person and one who tries to keep Rapunzel to herself, there is something almost likable about her character. She's the kind of lady people love to hate. Rapunzel's and Mother Gothel's relationship is a reminder of many relationships where young adults try to assert their independence under the watchful eye of their parents. There's the idea of the parent trying to protect and shield their young ones (though Mother Gothel's motives are for her own benefit).

My friend, Artsy Teacher Mom and I took our three girls to see Tangled on the weekend. We were in awe of the animation and seeing the movie in 3-D was a treat for young viewers. It was really sweet to see my toddler reaching out to touch the flying lanterns. The chase scenes were spectacular.  I had to remind myself a few times that I was watching animated characters and not actual actors.

I can't wait for Tangled to come out on DVD so I can get it for Little One!

NaBloPoMo Day 28: Leaving

That's right. I packed my bags and bundled up my two year old daughter.  We're leaving.

Ha! Only for the weekend though!  My lovely friend, Artsy Teacher Mom and I are going on a girls' weekend away. Just us and our girls. She's got a two and a half year old and a four month old. We're taking them to the big city (Ha! Ha! As if Sudz can be considered "the big city"!).

We'll let you know how our road trip turns out. Two mamas, two toddlers, and a baby. Should be interesting!

***************************
Post edited to add:
This is actually a funny story. I had written this post and postdated it, but didn't publish it because we had a snow storm and didn't end up going to "the big city" on Friday night.  Saturday rolled in and my friend, Arsty Teacher Mom called me and told me that the plan was back on and we were going to Sudz.

We had a full day of retail therapy Christmas shopping and instead of driving back to the Island in the dark, we decided to crash at her sister's place.  We were due for a good girls' night anyway.  We ordered Thai food, had a few drinks (okay, I'm such a lightweight that two Barcadi Breezers totally did me in!), and watched a chick flick (He's Just Not That Into You).

We figured we'd get in a bit more shopping before heading back to the Island this morning, and while in the middle of a very busy intersection, Artsy Teacher Mom's car died. No, seriously. It died!!! Trapped in the midst of crazy traffic and angry Christmas shoppers, there we sat with our three little girls (2.5 years, 2 years, and 4 months of age).

A few phone calls, a few meltdowns (ummm...and it wasn't the kids who had the meltdowns), and a few hours of sorting things out, we ended up getting the vehicle towed (funny how the dealership was closed). Not knowing how we'd haul ourselves, our kids, and our purchases back to the Island (a 2.5 hour drive!), there was a bit of panicking.

Artsy's husband ended up driving 2.5 hours to Sudz to get us. All I can think of is how lucky we were that we didn't decide to drive home last night. Who knows where we would have ended up getting stuck in? There's a huge stretch of highway where you won't even see another car late at night. Thank goodness we didn't get stuck in the middle of nowhere last night (in the cold and with three babies!).  Thank goodness I remembered to charge my cell phone and thank goodness Hubby had his cell phone on so that we could contact our men.

It never seems to fail that Artsy and I always end up in some kind of misadventure when we're together! :) Hubby even text messaged me when we were en route to "the city" with: "You girls BE GOOD! Stay out of trouble. I love you."

That sounded rather ominous and foreshadowing of what would happen this weekend. Artsy's vehicle is still in "the city". I think we may have to pick it up sometime this week. Oh, the drama! ;)

NaBloPoMo Day 27: Friday Funnies

Here are some Friday funnies (on a Saturday):

Filling the tub with water for her bath, I warned Little One not to touch the water because was still too hot. Little One leaned over the side of the tub and started blowing the water to cool it down! She did it again when I told her not to go near the oven when I was cooking. I told her it was hot, so she blew on the oven door!

"Put! Put! PUT!!!!"
Little One ran toward me at full speed and shoved a sleeve of stickers in my face. "PUT!" Apparently, she wanted to put stickers in her sticker book...and on the floor...and on the table...and on her face.

Ever since she experienced her first bout of pneumonia last month, Little One has been terrified of her inhaler. I don't blame her. The chamber and the piece that goes over her nose and mouth look rather daunting.  I think she feels like she's going to be suffocated.
Today, I caught Little One quietly playing with...her inhaler! She placed everything correctly on her face and then pretended to press down on the inhaler part and said, "Pfffffffft! Pfffffffffft!" (the sound the inhaler makes when it sends out puffs). She is too funny.

Little One was playing with her Baby Alive doll. She kissed the baby, rocked it to sleep, fed it, and then pulled off the baby's underpants and said, "Bum! Bum!". She then pretended to change the baby's diaper.

Little One is a fiercely independent 2 year old. She's not overly affectionate and is never very liberal with her hugs and kisses. Last night, I said, "Kiss Mommy?" and I gave her a big hug.  Little One started pushing me away and pleaded, "Peas! Peas! Peas!" (which I took for "Please! Please! Stop smothering me, Mom!").

NaBloPoMo Day 26: Randoms

* Today, I came home to a parcel waiting for me at my front door. I was soooooooo excited! Really, it doesn't take much to get me excited. It was the two sofa covers I ordered a few days ago and they arrived today! I have a set of two cream coloured sofas in our living room. I love creamy, off-white, egg shell-ish shades. It just makes a room feel really clean and crisp. Sadly, with a two year old, cream is not an appropriate colour for a couch! Sticky, dirty, gummy little hands can wreck a cream coloured couch in seconds.

My solution? Ditch the sofas? No way! Instead, I purchased these from Sears.ca! Is it sad that this is the most exciting purchase I've made this week? I LOVE them! It's almost as if I've got a new set of sofas! They fit so snugly and perfectly. They literally hug each and every contour of our couches. There's none of that bunching up or coming undone when you sit or get up! Love, love, LOVE!

I know. Who gets excited over couch covers? *sigh*





* I scored some pretty awesome dresses, clips, crocheted beanies, and headbands from one of my favourite online shops ever! Krafty Creations Boutique Gifts for Mom, Baby, and Family has the cutest items ever! Check them out!

* My friend's two and a half year old daughter was at our Zumba class with us and after all my throwing some extra oooomph into the workout, I was sweating...A LOT. My friend's toddler came up to me and said, "Why you all wet???" Bahahahhaha! It was too funny...and so embarrassing!

* Little One is definitely "talking" a lot more. She has been telling us "Bum! Bum! Bum! Bum!" every day now when it's time to change her soiled diaper.  Let the potty training begin. Fun times! Wooooo hooooo!

NaBloPoMo Day 25: The End Is Near

I am in sheer disbelief that November is coming to a close.  I am also quite shocked that I've survived posting every day of the month for NaBloPoMo! Wait. The month is not over yet.

Thoughts at large:

- Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married. There goes my dream of marrying royalty. In all seriousness, I think it's great that they are getting married. Why should we even care? Well, I think it's refreshing to hear something on the news that isn't about terrorism, murder, natural disasters, and all those other depressing things.

- I tried to recreate my friend's curried squash soup.  It turned out really well, except I used pumpkin instead of squash. I  had three pumpkins left over from Halloween. They were actually pie pumpkins, but I used one for the soup.

 Photo from seriouseats.com via Google Images.

Curried Pumpkin Soup Recipe:
1 pumpkin (not too big and not too small), seeded and cubed
cumin
salt and black pepper
curry
chicken stock
a touch of brown sugar
1 onion, chopped
garlic, minced (as much or as little as you like)
water
basil

In a large pot, add water and cubed pumpkin. Add onion and garlic. Cook until pumpkin is soft.  Puree with hand blender or use a potato masher. Add chicken stock, cumin, salt, black pepper, curry, basil, a bit of brown sugar, and cook everything. Let simmer (stirring occasionally). ** I  usually cut the squash or pumpkin in half and then place the halves face down on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven for an hour. I actually prefer it that way, but my friend's technique of just cooking the cubed pieces in a pot seemed a lot faster. The results was equally delicious.** Oh! My friend also uses a bit of peanut butter to add a special hint of "je ne sais quoi"!

Makes a delicious soup for a crisp winter day! Oh, and in case you were wondering...I don't usually use specific quantities in my cooking. Just go by taste, is what I say! ;)

- Little One has become surprisingly clingy. She was never a cuddly baby, and all of a sudden she wants to be with me ALL THE TIME. She wants to be carried, she cries if I leave the room, she wants to cuddle all the time...It's sweet, yet frustrating since I am having a hard time getting things done around the house when I get back from teaching.

- I just realized that I'll be turning 35 in a few weeks. THIRTY-FIVE!!! Yikes.

NaBloPoMo Day 24: While I Was Out

The one thing that makes me sad about having to teach and leave Little One with her grandparents is that I miss out on a lot of fun and exciting things that go on during the day.

Last week, she learned the word "bum".  Today, she pooped and then told Grampy "Bum! Bum!" while pointing at her posterior.  She has officially started telling us when she needs a diaper change.  This leads me to believe that soon we can start her on potty training.

I've become much more astute when it comes to deciphering "Toddler Talk".  I now know that "ope!" means "open", "mo" means "more", and "peas" means "please".  Usually these words are accompanied by frantic gesturing and pointing toward objects of desire.  For example, "Juice! Juice! Ope! Ope! OPE!!!!" means, "Mommy, I'd like  you to open the juice for me, please."

Likewise, "Mo? Mo? MO!?!?!?!" while pointing to the Halloween candy that she was never intended to see means "I've been such a good girl, Mom. I think a little bit of chocolate won't kill me. Would you please give me just a little piece?"

The other morning, I was trying to get us ready and out the door so she could go to Grampy and Lola's and I could teach an ESL lesson.  Little One kept saying, "Juice! Juice! Juice!" so I added  a few drops of juice to her water and gave it to her.  She kept coming back to me with an empty cup and pleading, "Mo? Mo? Mo? Juice! Juice! Juice!"


I decided that instead of brushing my hair and applying make-up, I should check on what the toddler was doing.  To my shock and horror, she was watering my 6 ft tall banana plant...with JUICE!!!
Of course, I'm not claiming to be an expert in Toddler Talk 101.  There are days when I have absolutely no idea what Little One is trying to articulate.  For some reason, my brain cannot process "Op! Bababada...Brrrp...lala...diddle, diddle, ope, OPE! Liggle, liggle, liggle."  When I can't comprehend, Little One gets frustrated, flings herself onto the couch, folds her arms and buries her head in her hands, while sobbing.

It is the strangest thing.  It feels as though while I was out, my baby has turned into a toddler.  She's turned into a toddler with her own thoughts, wants, opinions, and wants to have things done her way...and right now! Seriously! It's as if I woke up one morning and all of a sudden, Little One has started articulating her demands wants.  I've seen wild animals on National Geographic TV make less noise than she does sometimes!  I suppose it's part of being a toddler and kids do have to learn to express themselves and learn how to communicate what they want. Does it have to be so exhausting and so dramatic though? 

Oh, we deal with things in a constructive and positive way.  We're trying to teach her that she doesn't need to get frustrated when she's asking for things and that we will respond to her. Of course, I'm exaggerating with this picture of Little One I am painting for you. She really isn't that much of a drama queen. She's actually pretty well behaved. This said,  in all honesty, parenting is much more difficult for me than teaching grammar all day.  Infinitives, gerunds, dangling modifiers, conditionals, adverbial clauses...Pffffffft! All of those are a cake walk compared to figuring out how to best deal with parenting your child.

Hmmmm...Wait until she realizes that her Mama's as headstrong as she is!

NaBloPoMo Day 23: I Got Nuthin'

The sun's not out and
It's kinda gray.
I've got absolutely nuthin'
I want to say.

It's NaBloPoMo Day 23
I wish I had something to inspire me.

Instead, I sit here staring at this screen
Thinking how much better this post could have been.

NaBloPoMo Day 22: Why? Oh, Why?

 Photo from The Canadian Press Images, Jeff McIntosh

Trying new food is always exciting for me. I LOVE being adventurous and sampling food from other countries.  I've eaten octopus in Japan, and spicy noodles in Singapore. I've had Brazilian feijoada and Mexican chocolate sauce with chicken (mole).  I've even had spaghetti with squid (the noodles were black from the squid ink)!

Having tried many exotic dishes, I enjoy being open-minded when it comes to culinary techniques. I draw the line at certain foods though. I've often wondered why some people are fascinated by food that is so bad for them? I recently heard people talking about the artery clogging, heart attack inducing menu item at KFC, and then came across this article yesterday.

Why do people want to tempt fate like that? The mere thought of all that grease, sodium, and the high caloric intake for that one sandwich just makes my chest hurt! Just reading the description of the sandwich makes me feel really, really ill.
 
Excerpt from the msn.com article: "the Double Down - two pieces of seasoned fried chicken, two pieces of bacon and processed Pepper Jack cheese all topped off with the Colonel's savoury, secret sauce - is the most successful menu item in KFC Canada history. Canadians ate more than one million Double Downs in just the four-week period they were available across the country, according to a press release."

I know! I know! Lady, you'll eat octopus, but you won't eat two pieces of fried chicken with bacon, and processed cheese all sandwiched together?  I'm just crazy like that. Seriously. I feel my arteries harden as I look at that photo above!

A friend of mine tried it. He said it was "awesome"!  He's a food rebel and will try anything unhealthy just for the sake of saying he tried it.  It's almost as if there's something thrilling in trying the most unhealthy item on a menu.  He's traveled far and wide to sample the greasiest of foods. The greasier the better.

I won't lie.  I like the odd onion ring or spring roll.  I'm not completely adverse to the odd "bad for you" kind of food. I'm just curious as to why the fascination with such unwholesome kinds of foods...especially when there are so many delicious, healthy alternatives out there.

I can tell you now that I will never try the KFC concoction mentioned in the article I am referring to. To be honest, I am far too aware of the effects of colossal colon clogging foods. I'd like to stay healthy for my daughter for as long as I can. Thank you very much. But, by all means...if you want to try it, please let me know what you think!

Penny for your thoughts?

NaBloPoMo Day 21: Bathing With Baby

 Image from Saplings.ca via Google Images

I have a question for all you parents out there.  How many of you take baths with your toddlers?  Do you sometimes just stick your toddler in the shower with your spouse/partner/significant other?

 I don't take baths with Little One very often.  I probably stick her in the bath with me once a week or so.  It's not that I mind or anything.  I think it's a perfectly natural thing to do.  She's only two years old.  I do enjoy hanging out with her, but bath time takes soooo much longer when I'm in there with her. She just wants to play...and play...and play.  She would stay in the bath ALL night if I let her.

Little One and I were splish-splashing in the bath and singing Broadway show tunes.  All of a sudden, her eyes widened and her mouth was gaping open.  "Oh, dear. Here we go. She's going to ask what my hoo-ha and boobies are."

Instead, she reached over to my shoulder and touched my tattoo (which I completely forgot about!) and said, "Oh! Oh! Mommy!"  She tried to rub it off, but realized it wasn't going to come off.  She then leaned over and kissed my tattoo and said, "All done!"

A little more "swimming" around the tub and eight show tunes later, Little One was in top form.  She was giggling and babbling away.  Then, the  unmentionable happened.  Ha! Of course I'm going to mention it, and pray she doesn't decide to disown me when she's older!  Little One stopped what she was doing and made this really strange face.  All of a sudden, I saw two logs floating in the tub!

I jumped out of the tub, soaking wet, and screamed!

"Honey! HONEY!!!!!! Come in the bathroom! Quick! QUICK!!!!!"

Hubby came running in with a puzzled look on his face.  I pointed at our toddler, sitting quietly in the tub at the opposite end of those two little floating logs.

"Yes?"

"Ummmm...Your daughter pooped in the tub!"

"Yes?"

"Well? Can you please do something about it?"

Hubby disposed of the two little floating logs, washed the toddler off, and took her to her room to change her into her pyjamas...while I sat on the toilet seat and contemplated what just happened.

I honestly do not know why I reacted that way.  I mean, it's just poop!  Man, I've got a weak stomach when it comes to things like this though.  Poop and vomit.  Ack!  I've gotta toughen up.  I sense many years of poop and vomit ahead of me.  Gross.

NaBloPoMo Day 20: Hookers

When I first moved to "the Island" six ago, I didn't realize how big a difference country life would be from city life. I was at a tea and bazaar when a lovely lady in her mid-80s started talking to me about her life. She told me that she was a hooker for over 60 years and that she started "hooking" when she was a young girl! She talked about how sad it is that not many girls are "hookers" anymore and that "hooking" is a dying art. I just about fell out of my chair and almost choked on my tea and sandwich! Nearly killed me! 

I learned that day that "hookers" here weren't the same kind of hookers I thought they were.

Image from www.loopknitting.com

NaBloPoMo Day 19: Not Guilty

I went to my first Zumba class last night and had so much fun! The workout was exhilarating and the other girls who were taking the class were a hoot!  Incidentally, I've lost 5.5 lbs in the past two weeks. Nothing major, but it's only been two weeks.

I have to admit that on my way there, I felt this terrible knot in my stomach. It is the feeling I get when something really bothers me.  I felt awful about leaving Little One at my parents' house ALL DAY. They watched her when I was teaching and then again when I went to Zumba.

I know moms need time for themselves. I don't know why I can't get over the feeling that I'm a neglectful mom if I don't have my daughter with me. To be honest, I really envy this one friend I have. She's got two little ones and every weekend, the kids stay at either her parents' or her in-laws'.  I can't stand being away from Little One for too long. I don't know why. She's had one overnight at my parents' and she survived. Apparently, she and my parents had a blast.  I was the one who was all stressed out and couldn't sleep!

After last night and that fabulous workout, I came home and didn't feel so guilty.  Little One was happy to see me,. I got lots of hugs. I took her home and got her ready for bed.  I got even more hugs.

I think we're going to be okay.

NaBloPoMo Day 18: Zumbalicious!

I'm doing something for me tonight.  My friend called me and asked me to sign up for Zumba lessons with her.  I've heard of Zumba before, but did not know that classes were offered on "the Island". I jumped at the opportunity, because it sounds like so much fun! I get to have a good workout, hang out with my friend, and have some me time for once.

I  have to say that I am feeling a little bit guilty though. This means that Little One will have very little time with me on Thursdays. She gets babysat all day while I teach from 9AM to 3:30PM and then right after supper I have to leave her again. Zumba starts at 7PM. Hubby has fire practice at the fire hall on Thursday too. My poor baby. I feel like we're neglecting her.

I really need to get over this "Mommy guilt". *sigh*

NaBloPoMo Day 17: Fight For Preemies

It seems fitting that November is Preemie Awareness Month, since our little preemie was born in November.

I  have to admit that prior to giving birth to Little One, I never so much as gave any thought to premature births or the causes of prematurity.  No one I knew had a preemie before.  After all, getting pregnant was supposed to be a piece of cake, right?  You meet someone, you fall in love, you buy a house, you buy a dog, you buy stuff for your house (like that five piece bedroom set  you have always dreamed about!), you have sex, you get pregnant, and nine months later you pop out a baby, right?

Wrong.

Things don't always happen the way one thinks they are going to happen. In fact, nothing turned out the way my husband and I thought things would. We never even considered the fact that I may have a high risk pregnancy.  We could not foresee me being put on strict bed rest for the last five weeks of my pregnancy.  We did not even think that my cervix would be almost completely effaced at less than 24 weeks.

What was supposed to be the happiest and most exciting time of our lives was a time that was fraught with worry and anxiety over the possibility of losing our baby.  

 

This is actually the very first time I have ever put my thoughts and feelings into words for even myself to see.  I think that when I was going through our time in the NICU, I never doubted for one moment that things would not be okay.  Perhaps that was the only way I could survive those scary first days, weeks, and months with my preemie being in the NICU.  Perhaps I had to convince myself that everything was going to be okay.

Luckily for us, everything was okay.  Well, despite a few rocky moments and a lumbar puncture. I honestly thought Spinal Tap was just a band. I never thought my less than 3 lb baby would have to go through the pain of having one! Fortunately for her, there were no blood transfusions and she had no major complications.

For the thousands of other preemies out there, blood transfusions are not uncommon. It's surreal to think about one's new sense of reality and what is "normal" when you have a preemie.  People don't really know what you're going through if they haven't had to experience it themselves.

 I never imagined having to learn about CPAPs, NG tubes, Bradycardia, Tachypnea, lumbar punctures, or any other scary sounding terms! What is even scarier is that these soon become "normal" words to parents with a baby in the NICU.

No matter how many times I've had to tell Little One's story or speak about premature births, I always get choked up.  She was only inside me for a little more than half of the time she was supposed to be in there.  She was only 2 lbs, 3 oz at birth.  It is amazing how resilient and strong a tiny, fragile-looking baby can be.  Her will to live was so strong and she continues to be a head-strong, spirited little girl. She's a survivor and she demonstrates this to us every single day.

I remember the day of her birth so clearly. It is almost as if it happened just yesterday.  I was wheeled into the observation room after complaining of stomach pains (which happened to be contractions!).  After the doctors looked at me, they went on their lunch break because I "had an hour or so" to go.  I had the urge to push, despite the nurse's pleading. She did not want the baby born with no doctors in the room. Three pushes, and Little One cannon-balled her way into the world. She landed on the hospital bed and I stopped her with my foot! Of course, she was tethered by her umbilical chord, so she wasn't going to go far anyway.

The whole thing was like a whirlwind to me.  The nurse called a Code Pink, wrapped Little One (Junior at the time, since we thought we were having a boy) up in a special blanket to keep her warm, and within minutes, a medical team of doctors, nurses, and RTs came rushing in.  The baby was intubated for the first 24 hours of her life. Her Apgar scores were surprisingly good for a baby born so early. They were 6 and 9.

There was no doctor in the room to deliver Little One, so it was funny that they had to ask Hubby for the time of birth.  Hubby never got to cut the umbilical chord because the doctors needed to work quickly. After they worked on her, they wheeled her away.  I would not get to hold my newborn baby for almost two weeks.  Hubby got to follow the medical team and watch as they cleaned Little One  up and put her in her own isolette.  He got to hold her hand through the portals/windows of her isolette.  The doctors worked on me with the afterbirth and I didn't get to see my baby until nearly four or five hours later.

It was sheer agony to not be able to hold my newborn baby.  Most moms get to feel their baby's warmth when the doctors place him or her on their mom's chest. Most moms get to nurse their baby right away.  I had to wait a few weeks until Little One got stronger and bigger.  Most moms get to take their baby home with them a few days after giving birth.  I had to commute to and from the hospital every day for Little One's first 70 days of life in the NICU.

It is my hope that by spreading awareness of premature births, we can save more babies. How? By supporting NICUs everywhere. By raising funds for projects, research, testing, and even just services to help parents of preemies cope while their infants are in the NICU. That is my hope. It's probably a lofty dream, but I hope one day that the rate of premature babies won't be as high as it is now.

I never dreamed that I'd have a preemie, but I think this experience has made me appreciate motherhood so much more.  Never take your children for granted (even when you've got a screaming toddler who is driving you nuts because she wants to wear Argyle tights and nothing else).  They truly are little miracles.

I love my little preemie.

November 17th is the day dedicated to raising awareness of premature births.  Join the collective effort in raising awareness of premature births by checking out Bloggers Unite - Fight for Preemies and The March of Dimes - Prematurity. 

NaBloPoMo Day 16: Welcome to the Terrific Twos!

 She only just turned two, and the unexpected has happened.  I never believed people when they spoke of "the terrible twos".  Hubby prefers to call them "the terrific twos". It seems that just as quickly as her second birthday arrived, that the toddler meltdowns came too.

Me:  Honey, let's put on your plain tights.
Little One: This! This! THIS!!!! (grabbing at the Argyle tights)
Me: (Insert Little One's real name here), these match your outfit better.
Little One: No! No! No! THISSSSSSS! (screaming her head off)
Me: I don't know why I'm trying to reason with a toddler. I'm just going to put THESE ones on you!!!
Little One: (in tears, throwing herself onto her bed, and burying her face in her hands) Thissssssssssss!
Me: Oh, fine! Argyle and hearts it is then.

*sigh* Oh, the drama! She's only TWO and she already wants to dress herself! Guess what? She wouldn't take those Argyle tights off.  She's wearing them today too.
Scene: The morning after Little One's birthday party. Little One and I were in the bathroom.  She was just finishing her bath and I started to put her bath toys away.

Little One: No! Mine! Mine! Mine! MINEEEEEE!!!!
Me: What? Where did you learn that word?! We never taught you that word!
Little One: Mine! Mine! Mine!

The night before, one of Little One's friends was trying to take home Little One's birthday present. She kept saying "Mine!". I believe this is where Little One learned that word, as we never taught it to her before.

Scene: Niece 1, Niece 2, and their friend were over for the day. Little One wanted to watch her "Once Upon A Potty" DVD.

Me: Brace yourselves, girls! This video is a bit graphic! (teasing the three teenagers)
Niece 1: Ewwwwww! (at the part of the DVD where the body parts and their functions are described)
Niece 2: Why do they call it that?!
Me: Well, what do you think they should say? Vagina and penis? I'm contemplating teaching her to say the real words for the body parts and not wee wee and poo poo. I think we're going to teach her to say penis.
Little One: PENIS!!!

The teenagers break into roaring laughter.

Niece 2 and friend were playing on the couch with Little One. Little One was jumping up and down while watching her new movie, "Up". Little One accidentally dropped something on the floor.

Little One: Oh, $h!t.

For the record, I am very careful about what I say. She learned this word from her Lola! LOL!

NaBloPoMo Day 15: Her First Time

...on a weekend getaway with Grandma (Lola) and Mommy!

A few weekends ago, Little One and I went on a mini "trip" with my Mom. We spent the night at a hotel in the "closest big city" to us. We did our Christmas shopping, ate at some really great restaurants, and had some good Toddler-Grandma-Mommy bonding time.

This was Little One's first time sleeping in a hotel!

 Little One hanging out in the hotel lobby.

 So, this is what those hotel ice buckets are for!!!

 Little One was watching Lola brush her teeth and all of a sudden, put the ice bucket on her head like a hat. I don't know what possessed her, but she entertained herself for a long time.

 Going to bed in Lola's suitcase!

 Supper at Red Lobster's...only because I was craving Red Lobster's!

 The  hotel offered a continental breakfast. We could have eaten in the hotel restaurant or ordered room service, but we opted for the continental breakfast. I was expecting the usual stale muffins and watered down juice. To my surprise, the hotel had a really cool waffle maker, eggs, muffins, several types of cereal, bagels, a juice bar, etc.

We ended up going to Umai Sushi for lunch after our shopping spree. The one thing I miss now that I've been  living on the Island is having access to many different kinds of restaurants and having "ethnic cuisine". I miss Japanese food, so Mom and I decided we'd go for Japanese at lunch.

 Everything was DELICIOUS. Mom (Lola) really wanted tempura.

 Little One ate some food from my bento, but she also had this soup all to herself!

 She also had some of my miso soup. Mmmmm! We LOVE miso soup!

It was a lot of fun. It was a nice, refreshing weekend away. We had lots of fun with Lola!

NaBloPoMo Day 14: Fairy-Princess-Ballerinas

I've always had a hatred strong dislike for the colour pink. I loathed girlie things. I boycotted all things fairy, princess, and ballerina.

Until I had a daughter.

For some reason, almost all of her clothing items are PINK! It wasn't by choice. It just sort of happened. Despite my pleading requests, friends and family kept giving her pink things! It turns out that the kid looks pretty cute in pink. Plus, now that pink is "the" colour of Breast Cancer Awareness, how can I hate pink??? I think I love pink now.

Little One just turned 2 on Remembrance Day and we had her 2nd Birthday party yesterday. It was a girls only party. Normally, I wouldn't segregate or discriminate the sexes (I don't feel it's right to do so), but I was just too tired to have a HUGE party with ALL the kids.

It was a fairy-princess-ballerina tutu party. All the little girls came in tutus and I had tiaras for each of them. We had Tinkerbell decorations and the loot bags were all Tinkerbell inspired. The pièce de résistance was the stunning birthday cake made by my gorgeous and talented friend, Maria.


Every princess-fairy-ballerina's dream cake: Sparkly butterflies and pretty flowers.

Birthday pics will be posted sometime this week!