All Grown Up... Sort Of...

Max was born in August 2011...

That is 15 months ago now...

Yet it seems like so much longer and so much shorter at the same time. He has already started to walk, he has had is first hair cut, he has said his first words, gotten his first tooth and has stolen the heart of everyone he has met.

It hurts my heart a little that he is 15 months old, it makes my heart smile a little too though because, well how lucky am I to be the one and only Momma this boy will ever have...

He seems so grown up and yet I know that there are so many things he is yet to experience and while I know I haven't done everything "right" I know that I am here and I love him and that will shape him into the man he will be...

Happy 4th Birthday Delaney!

My first born, my baby sugar, my sweetie pie was born this day 4 years ago.

It feels like so long ago yet it feels like it was yesterday....

I remember going into labour and the horrible night that went nowhere and resulted in an emergency c-section at 3 am, I remember the pure exhaustion after I was brought back for recovery, I remember shaking all over and the horrible headache from the spinal but most of all I remember being so in love with my beautiful baby girl....

She's not a baby anymore, she's a big girl who will be quite a woman someday!

I'm proud to be her Momma an her friend!

Happy Birthday Sugar!

Tell the Truth Thursday! Be Your Own Parent!

Sounds like a silly title... I of course don't mean be your own parent as in be your own mother (even though we are all becoming more and more like them everyday... I know I am anyway!) I mean be your own kind of parent.

I have been seeing a lot of these "rules for mother's of sons" or "guides for mother's of daughters" and "you must do this with your child" posts on Pinterest. While I am all for posting on your blog what you feel your rules for being a momma are, and I am by no means attacking those blogs or bloggers because if we weren't all off different backgrounds and opinions this blogging thing wouldn't be very much fun, but so many people are pinning these posts and commenting that this is the be all and end all list of how you should parent your boys or girls or your whole brood. I am all for the hints and tips that other momma's can share but when you compile a list of "rules" it feels like your saying there is no individuality to being a parent anymore.

I also feel like its a little judgey to put out a list that says this is how and what to do with your daughters, or this is how to love your son. Why can't I love my kids my way, with our life and experiences rather than looking at a list and checking off what that mom or this dad did...

To me part the beauty of being a parent is that we get to learn from our mistakes, our successes and our out right PARENTING FAILS...

I love that I am a parent to both sexes and that my experience (even just to 10 months so far) has been very different with each and that I have had two different kids with different needs (which I think would happen no matter if they were both girls or even both boys). I love that as I see changes in them I can adapt to what they want and need and that as they grow I can introduce new experiences with them  and I personally don't think that a list of rules for mommas of boys or of girls can tell me what they need to experience.

Almost all of the lists that have been floating around are similar and most say the same thing....

LOVE YOUR CHILD!

So why not love your child your way, the way that you were designed as a parent to love them, the way that they are asking you to love them...

Forget rules and lists and do's and don'ts and make your own lists of how you love your little ones, how you live with your little ones and how they interact with you.

Be a proud and independent parent who does what they feel is right and rewarding.

But hey thats just this momma's opinion and the TRUTH is even though I dislike those lists its just another momma's opinion too...

What's your TRUTH? Are you for or against the "rules" and have you posted your own? I'd love to hear what you have to say in the comments!

Photo Friday! SNEAK PEAK!!

For the last few weeks my sister and I have been planning and working on our Momma's 50th Birthday Party!

She has known all along that she is having the party but she has no idea about anything other than the place and time... We just keep saying we have a THEME!!!

She is gonna love it!

So for Photo Friday a SNEAK PEAK for you as to what will be happening next week when I show you the party and what we did/how to recreate it and for our Momma... a SNEAK PEAK into what her party will look like!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Tell The Truth Thursday! I'm A Mover!

If you have kids you probably watch their shows with them.... Listen to kids music with them.... and take them to concerts they like right...

Well I have a confession about one of Delaney's Favorite shows....

I love the Movers too!

I have a thing for the Imagination Movers!
There is just something about Rich, Scott, Smitty and Dave that I can't get enough of! I must say that I do enjoy the guest appearances too!
Their music ranges from the sounds of 80's funk to rock to semi-rap and I LOVE IT! It is (besides some indie rock) our dance party music of choice! Have a listen/watch below and you'll get a glimpse as to why... that is if your not already a Mover fan!

Its much easier to listen to kids music when it sounds like this!
Its much more fun than mini pops and for sure its safer for kids to listen to...
I hate turning on the radio to hear things that I think my 3 year old should never hear.... every second word is shut up, I hate... or "sexy and I know it"
I know that this music is everywhere and its fine music... for adults.
I just want to keep my 3 year old 3 as long as I can I guess... and not having to listen to boring farm animal songs makes that easier and if listening to the movers means we can keep her young and innocent  and keep everyone happy...  I'm game!

Tell The Truth Thursday! WOW I'm a MOM!

I had plans this Saturday...

Momma was going out on the town with the girls!

Drinks at a friends house and then out dancing! 

Yep we were going to get our dance on at some clubs downtown! 

My friends still are but I will have to settle for having a dance party here in the living room.... (something we do almost daily at our house anyway!) 

You see I am not going with them Saturday because I am a Momma!

Don't get me wrong its not because I am not able to or because as a momma I shouldn't, because if there is a good reason to go out and have a drink or two and unwind with the ladies being a momma is right up there with having a horrible boss, broken down car, dead end job or the ever popular my boyfriend left me.... 

No I am not going because I decided to spend the money allocated for my night out on the town on a Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bitty Salon.... 

Yes you read right a Berry Bitty Salon...

Because how can Strawberry Shortcake run her Cafe, or the Berry Bitty Market with out having her hair did... and after she has been driving all day in her Berry Bitty Convertible and swimming in her Berry Bitty Pool she certainly needs a touch up and after all that hard work building her Berry Bitty Club House she definitely needs a manicure!

Does Delaney need another Strawberry Shortcake play set you ask... 

Nope she already has all the above mentioned sets (which for some reason only come with Strawberry Shortcake dolls and a million little pieces like cups and flashlights...) and I'm sure she will collect more in the future... No she doesn't need another play set but the smile that lights up her face, brightens her eyes for even that one moment when you say "Yes sugar you can have that one!" the look she gives you at that moment when her life is complete because you just gave her the one thing she was missing for her Berry Bitty Town, well that moment is worth more than any night out, more than any money in the world.

So if the two children with their sleepy heads rested in the next room wasn't reason enough for me to believe that I am a Momma, writing this email to my friends earlier this evening gave me that "wow it's really true I'm a MOM" moment!

"I can't go downtown on Saturday as I have just spent my downtown money on a Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bitty Salon! But the smile on her face was worth 10 trips downtown!"

So I guess a night IN is in store for me on Saturday... 

I wonder if there is an appointment available at the Berry Bitty Salon for me and Delaney on Saturday.... 

Have you ever had that "WOW I'm a parent" moment? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments!

BABY EXCITEMENT

I can't get this out of my head! 

Maybe because Tomorrow is all I can think about!

Baby Max will be born tomorrow and I can't wait! 

Tomorrow!

So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow! 

Wish me luck!

Thanks for letting us vote!

It's election time again here in Canada! 

Feels like just 2 years ago I voted for the first time... Oh wait... it was! Our previous government was a minority one so when the Federal Budget was released in March and was defeated it caused us to have another election...

I am so proud to say...

It puts a smile on my face to know that while my vote may not be for the candidate that wins at least I can say that I voted! 

I had my say!

Plus I like giving my child a role model that she (and some day they) can look back and remember oh yeah Momma voted! She may not remember this year but I know that some day she will look back and say hey I remember when we were little and we would walk to the poling station and Momma would vote!

Today I told her we were going out to vote and she said "Oh Momma can I go to the voting store with you?" I corrected her of course and then she said "Lets go to the poling station"! She was a hit with everyone she met as usual! She introduced her self to the ladies running the registration table and shook hands with them and everything! (she even went as far as to ask one lady what her favorite color was!) and then as we were walking out after voting she said "Thanks for letting us vote!"

What a great way to put it... Thanks for letting us vote!

If your Canadian get out and vote! 

If your not make sure your vote counts where you are next time around!

What it means to be a momma....

I am a finalist in a contest being held by another very talented Canadian Momma! 

Beautiful Dreamers Design  makes and creates amazing items for babies and children bedrooms every thing from piggy banks to picture frames and you can see it all on her website (linked above) or HERE on her Facebook group!

She put out the call for those expecting a baby or who have had a baby in the last 12 months on her Facebook page a few weeks ago and then from all entries she picked 10 Momma's or Momma to Be's as finalists and asked them to write out a paragraph as to what being a mommy is to them... so I thought i would share my entry, and no I don't need votes or likes or people to join her Facebook group or anything like that, I just thought I would share it with the Bloggy World!

So here it is what it means to this Momma to be a Momma...

Being a mommy to me is being everything for someone else. Being a mommy is being a teacher, a child's first teacher, showing them how to share, teaching them their ABC's and shapes, guiding them through the stepping stones of growing up. Being a mommy is being a Doctor, kissing boo boos and sprinkling magic fairy dust on imaginary scrapes and cuts. Being a mommy is is being a rock-star,singing and dancing, putting on a show just to amuse them. Being a mommy is is being a role model, showing them that being your self is better than ever trying to be better than someone else. Being a mommy is being wowed everyday, seeing the world through fresh eyes, or feeling your baby move for the first time. Being a mommy is is being amused by the funny things they say everyday or even by the thought that your growing a baby that is a part of you now but will reside in your heart forever. Being a mommy is is being more in love with your child everyday when just yesterday you thought there was no way you could ever love them more, and knowing that tomorrow you will find a way to love them even more than you do today. Being a mommy is allowing a life to blossom within you and loving that life from the first moment you know it exists. Being a mommy is a blessing, it brightens my day and my life.

What does being a Momma mean to you?