Mothering Mommy

I wonder, how many of us actually watch our kids grow? To see their transitions and enjoy their journey with them. Personally, I did not take that time with my eldest. I was younger and on the hustle, in efforts to make a great life for him. With 2 and 3 jobs and a household to run, I was there for him but the presentness of mind to actually see his transitions and appreciate them wasn't there. Luckily for me, I did get a second chance, 11 years later, when I had my daughter. In that moment, I swore to be present and not miss her journey. But little did I know I was getting a two for one deal. I don't know about anyone else, but it seems like my kids go to sleep at one stage and wake up completely transitioned into another. It is so crazy saying good morning to someone new, during these transition points. So, with my awareness in check my son fell into my radar. I saw my sweet boy making his awkward transition into his teen years, navigating high school and discovering who...

When they say having a baby changes everything, they meant it. At times, I get glimpses of what my life used to be like before I had my kids. The freedom to make plans, that weren’t reliant on whether or not I was able to get a sitter. The knowledge that I could party ‘til the sun came up and still go home Sunday morning, and get 8 blissful hours of sleep. Or one of my favorites, when I could use the bathroom or shower without company. Yup, that was my life before having kids. I am hooked on binge watching shows after everyone goes to bed. This is literally the only time I have to comfortably watch what I want. I am guessing someone out there can relate . Right now, my addiction is Green Leaf (that is such a good binge). So I watched as much as I could and went to bed at around 1 a.m. At 3 a.m, just as I was drifting into REM sleep, I hear that an all too familiar “Mommy? Get up!” I really thought I was dreaming, until I peaked out of one eye. There she was, with those ch...

Finally 2 years old...yayyyy! My LO is potty trained,sleep trained and super chilled. I was ready to celebrate, Diaper bill gone ✔ Mini chilled coffee buddy with ability to have convo✔ Sleep filled nights ✔✔ all this excitement, then I came across a post about toddler sleep regression and thought, "Thank goodness I am not going through that." As the title of this post suggest, boy was I WRONG. It was a normal night, my LO was home from daycare, had dinner, a bath, a book and all relaxed by 8 p.m. I did the usual,  put the night light on, kissed my LO goodnight and left the room. About 15 mins after, a small shadowy figure appeared in the doorway of my daughter's room, followed by a small voice..."mommy!" I was all too sympathetic looking at that cute little face, plus, this is the first time it happened. So back to bed we went, a little more cuddles and kiss goodnight. This, then happened every 15 mins until I realized she was having a real problem sleeping. ...

TODDLER TIME OUT WADDLE My little, sleepy, giggly, baby fresh bundle, is now , a 2 year old. She seriously has only one speed - GO!, she finds a ‘why’ in every scenario and yes she has the trademark, transition episodes. The transition phase brings on episodes, the inevitable ‘No’ now comes coupled with meaning and it can be hard to deal with, especially seeing that they always seem to happen in public (que the judgmental stares...lol). But seriously, your cute and playful little bundle, will suddenly begin to make their voices heard and wants known. Unfortunately, unlike us they can not adequately verbalize their wants, nor do they know how to adequately channel the frustration of not being totally understood, so they let us know the only way they know how, and that is quite normal and generally does not require anything more than patients, reassurance and mommy’s full attention to decipher what is bothering them. However, this is also the time when your kid will begin to be ass...

I can’t believe it’s August already, every year it seems that time flies faster and faster. The same can be said for my kids. I still remember holding my son in my arms and playing with his little feet now he is 14 years old, motivated and growing into a wonderful young man. My daughter seems to have been born yesterday and already she speaks in sentences, using the potty and giving the best hugs in the world. I seriously feel like I was just changing her diaper, and cuddling up to that all too familiar baby smell, as she slept on my chest. Sigh...it all went too quickly. Every opportunity I get, I delve into gushing about my kids. From the silly, to the hysterically naughty and definately the cute moments. That’s why I wanted to have a place in my blog to exchange stories freely, giving us moms, that much needed moment to laugh at our little ones silly antics and melt at their all too cute moments. This space also welcomes stories about the littlest to the biggest babies in our life...

MEDICATION AND YOUR LITTLE ONES: ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION The past couple weeks have been the most trying, tear filled and confusing weeks of my mommyhood. My daughter seemed to be a shell of herself and I was at wits end on what was going on with her. Lo and behold the root of the problem was right in front of my eyes. Back Story Like most kids, my now 2 year old had been having bouts of illness for some time. A cold here, runny nose there, an episode of croup (I wouldn’t wish this on anyone), the all too familiar random throw up and of course that sporadic fever. With all this going on, there was no way for me to not be worried out of my mind. We visited our pediatrician, who by the way is awesome. He never makes you feel like he is just indulging you and your idea of what could be wrong, he listens and gives a professional opinion, takes both into account and works with you to make a plan moving forward (can you tell just how awesome I think he is). Moving on, at our many visits he...

The month of June brought so many changes. We welcomed the summer heat and celebrated our graduates. As they said their goodbyes to old friends, they also look forward to beginning a new chapter. But most of all Summer Break was finally here. Summer brings BBQ's, Amusement Parks, long days, fun times with friends and lots of road trips. Traveling with two kids, I can't lie had me a little intimidated, who am I kidding, it had me a lot intimidated. But lo and behold, it went way smoother than I anticipated. Here is my take on how to make it through an 3:20 a.m, 8hr trip with 2 kids and Amtrak. I know 3:20 a.m departure seems nuts but, there was a method to my madness. So early in the morning means you have to wake your little one but chances are they will go right back to sleep after boarding, which makes for a relaxing couple first hours. Pack something for your kids to do. Older kids usually want anything digital and they can choose what they want to bring. Just remember to...

Ok, so let’s jump right in. I covered all things Nanny, which did reach and impact many of you. So to all those to whom I did give some insight, you are very welcome. It’s time to touch on Daycare. This is always a scary choice for any parent, myself included. After all, you are trusting your kids with a stranger (just as with a nanny), the only difference is that your little one will be cared for outside your home, they will now be one of five (instead of one on one as with a nanny) and the environment is notorious for exposure to any bugs that might be going around. Doesn’t sound too appealing right now but keep reading and you may be pleasantly surprised. The daycare environment is a transition for any child and parent, especially those children over the age of 1, so the nervousness you are feeling is completely normal. Just as with choosing a nanny, research is crucial along with open houses. All daycares allow you to tour their facilities during operating hours,...

THE CHILD CARE DEBATE OMG! It's positive you are going to have a baby. Your heart is racing, your face hurts from smiling so hard and you get those familiar butterflies of excitement in your stomach. Then your thought process begins, and sometime during this moment you think eventually I am going to need a nanny, no maybe daycare wait no I'm quitting my job. WAIT! I am a mom, who had been a nanny for years. I switched careers and became a stay at home mom/author, then as of a month ago I put my daughter into daycare. Yes I have experienced it from every angle, so let me give you a little insight. THINKING OF A NANNY The choice to get a nanny is a big one and one of the most personal relationships you could ever have. To be clear a nanny is not a babysitter. A babysitter ensures your little one is safe, and entertained in your absence, a nanny ensures not only your little one's safety and entertainment, but they also see after the entire wellbeing of your little one. ...

So this week’s post got sidelined after my experience this weekend. It would have not been in my nature to not share this experience with all of you. So my apologize for the late post but this is worth it. This weekend was full of blessings, with my daughter turning 2 and Mother’s Day all wrapped up in one, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. We celebrated by going to the zoo, and it was awesome!! We were lucky enough to see all the animals and witness feeding time. Honestly, my kids spent the entire day smiling. Now to this week’s entry. When you visit a public, family oriented place like the zoo, you witness first hand the differences and similarities in how we parent. Bringing together, strangers with a common interest, for brief random reassurances. While enjoying the attractions, I saw this family, with a reasonable gap in ages between their two kids, which caught my attention seeing that my kids are 12 years apart. The little one didn’t want to do what the bigger one ...

As parents, we all hit points where we feel like we failed or we could have done it differently. I reached that point this week, and hopefully my experience could ease the mind of any parent out there going through what seems to be a silent or visible dilemma. When life dealt me a really confusing hand I like most, had to just figure things out. Which led to me submerging myself in my writing. I was in my bliss. Not only was I doing what love, but I was also raising my now 23 month old and being home when my son came from school. I was on a high. Pulling energy from God knows where. So much was wrong with that plan, it wasn't even funny. I now had two full time extremely time consuming endeavours, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I was planning activities and projects all morning along with potty training, ensuring her meals were home prepared and nutritious, reading and teaching and ensuring loads of social interaction with myself and other kids. Whewww! Then came naptime. 2 ...

Somehow the fact that I am now a mom of a 23 month old girl and 14 year old boy, snuck up on me and both of them are going through their transition periods at the same time. Lucky Me! These transition period episodes happen so radomly that I cherish the many days with 'I love you's', endless hugs and non stop conversations. My 23 month old has the most beautiful spirit. She is focused, funny and an extremely loving little girl - I may be biased but I am allowed😄. As she approaches the 2 year mile stone, her thirst for independence is very clear and my ability to breath deep is well practiced LOL. Now does this sound familiar to anyone...she thinks everything is hers and she lets you know if she doesn't want you to take it. She believes she is invincible, bedtime is on a whole other level of defiance and her super favorite word is, inevitably 'NO'. Be honest, as cute as the little munchkins are, this is a scary transition point. As for my 14 year old, he is ...

So this week was one of reflections and realisations, all that created the messge I have this week. Back Story: About 4 years ago I was a pedestrian struck and I am gratefully blessed to still be alive. After the accident, I did all I needed to, for my body to heal and for me to function. Like most moms and women, I dug deep and got through it. I went back to work and took care of my family and home, but little nagging pains remained. As time went by, I had to see doctors related to the accident but my life post injury became more painful.  I took pain killers for the now growing pains, and kept focused on providing for and taking care of my family. Before I knew it, I was on autopilot, and not taking any time for me or listening to my body. I pushed through and pushed through, until one day, my body said enough was enough. It took me by surprise as I literally could not get the right side of my body to respond to any signal my brain was sending. I had to stop. Here I was, fo...

I want to talk about something that I personally went through, and believe that a lot of other mothers probably go through it as well. It’s all about bonding with your second child. Like most first time moms, I was head over heels with excitement when I found out I was pregnant with my son. I was in my 20’s then and would sing to my belly, talk to him, journal poetry at every milestone of my pregnancy and would try newborn diapers on my stuffed teddy bear (this bear has been my favorite stuffed toy since I was 9 years old and I gave him to both my kids so don’t judge:)). Yes I was so ready to be a mom. And then the day came that I finally held him and to this moment it still makes me smile. Seeing his squishy face and velvety skin, I was in love. My son and I bonded from inception and to this day, he is 14 now, we are still extremely close. After my son, I knew I wanted more kids, 3 in total to be precise. But life had other immediate plans for me, and it would be 11 years before I...

This week's post is a simple reminder to disinfect, wash your hands and take the time you need to get well if you are sick. I have seen children coming down sick and not able to lift their heads, it was needless to say heartbreaking. Thankfully my family is well and I pray that yours is as well. This flu season is really no joke. Remember, prevention is always better than cure. Stay well.

This week I want to send a reminder to all moms out there You are more than just a mom. Where being a mom is extremely rewarding, and no doubt brings that all too familiar bubbly joy, we sometimes get lost in the role of being a mom. There are inevitably days or nights when you have that moment to yourself, and briefly, memories flood your mind. Memories that you smile. Images of the crazy, fun and sometimes questionable things we did before we had kids. Or maybe that old girlfriend reaches out, and you sit for 2 hours reminiscing about the times you had way back when. Then, you come off the phone and realize that for 2 hours you were having insane laughs and pre-motherhood conversations, which leaves a lingering smirk until you begin to feel just a little guilty, for feeling so good and being so happy about life before your kids. Does that mean you miss those days? Does it mean you don't love being a mom as much as you think? The answer to both questions is most definitely '...

I have been a M.I.A recently with my blog and it is for no other reason than the topic of my next post. M.I.P.M (Mommy's Intimate Personal Moments). This is a little thing I do at least once every 3 months, might go 4 but I must do this twice a year. I say must because I had to find a way to hold myself accountable to myself, to take care of myself. Lots of 'myselfs' in there I know it sounds a little selfish right? Trust me its all but selfish. If you remember, in my previous post I spoke of allowing yourself to be sick, which honestly I still fight with. Well M.I.P.M is allowing yourself to be pampered. Paint your nails, sip a little wine on a weekday 😮, fiddle with your hair, buy a new lipstick, sneak the good chocolates when the kids are asleep (they pair well with the wine😉) and the biggest one of all, limit social media. Give yourself time to breathe from the monotony of the social day to day. Sounds like a clip from a movie right? Sounds impossible to do right?...