Achievements!

Times I Feel like a Super Mom, but Probably Shouldn’t.

~ newbiemomsite ~ Leave a comment

When you are a parent, each day is full of small victories. And I mean small. Some are downright minuscule.

But we all have days like that, right? Days where nothing seems to go right. Our kids are little terrors who make us count down the minutes until bedtime. Everything is a mess, there is no food in the fridge and you can’t seem to get more than a sip of coffee.

On those days, those little victories keep you going. You feel like someone should come around the corner presenting you with a “parent of the year” trophy. Sadly, no one else seems to feel your day merits any trophies. Even though you feel victorious the rest of the world is not that impressed.

Here are a few times I felt like a Super-mom, but no one else agreed:

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To My Son on his First Birthday

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Dear beloved son:

One year ago you were born and the world became a better place. You took forever to get here, but when you finally arrived you were tiny and perfect. Worth the wait. You are even more wonderful today.

In this last year, you have grown and changed so much. You learned how to lift your head, how to roll and sit and how to crawl. You are learning how to walk, and I’m sure that will happen any day now. You discovered that you love to move, and so you never stop. Continue reading →

5 Reasons Parenting is just like American Ninja Warrior

~ newbiemomsite ~ 6 Comments

Anyone else completely hooked on American Ninja Warrior? For those who haven’t seen it, it is an obstacle course challenge where people compete to test their fitness and possibly win a million dollars. I have been watching for a few seasons now and I have to say that it is one of my favourite summer shows. As I watched last night, a thought struck me for the first time. Being a parent is just like American Ninja Warrior.

Okay, there are no commentators, no prize money and no muscled athletes (at least at our house). But there are many similarities between American Ninja Warrior and being a parent.

Here are 5 reasons why American Ninja Warrior is just like parenting:

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5 Reasons my Baby is a Tiny (Adorable) Dictator

~ newbiemomsite ~ 5 Comments

I am living in a dictatorship. Well, sort of. I actually live in a democratic country. It’s just my house that is a dictatorship. The great and merciful leader? Our baby.

Sure, he looks cute, but don’t be fooled. He rules our house with an iron fist. He has graciously permitted me to have 30 minutes of media time, so I have decided to use it to tell the outside world what is really going on in our house.

Here are 5 reasons my baby might be a tiny dictator:

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4 Reasons Parents of Babies Deserve a Medal

~ newbiemomsite ~ 2 Comments

Babies are cute. I think we can all agree on that. They have sweet, gummy smiles and sweet, chubby cheeks. Yes, babies are super cute, but this doesn’t mean that they are easy to live with. On the contrary – babies are like the worst roommates ever.

Being a new parent is hard. HARD. But everyone you meet will want to tell you how great it is and why you should appreciate it. They are blinded by your baby’s cuteness and oblivious to their challenges. But from one new parent to anther – this is way harder than anyone can tell you. You deserve a medal.

Here are four reasons I think new parents deserve a medal:

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Breastfeeding a newborn vs. a 10 month old

~ newbiemomsite ~ 10 Comments

Before I had a baby, I thought that once you got the hang of breastfeeding, it was all the same from there. Not so, my friends!

Turns out that feeding a newborn is vastly different from breastfeeding an older baby. I decided to compare the highs and lows of breastfeeding a baby at different ages. Let me show you what I mean.

Newborn

Positives: Ugh, are there any? Keeping baby alive is one. Cuddling is sometimes another. Also, you can watch TV while feeding without distracting the baby. Continue reading →

I work out now. I don’t like it.

~ newbiemomsite ~ 20 Comments

So, I work out now.

Everyone who has ever met me if probably laughing at that last sentence, but I really do.

I don’t like it. I am uncoordinated by nature, tripping over my feet while walking in a straight line kind of uncoordinated. I have tried lots of workout classes, but I can’t seem to get the hang of Zumba or other aerobic or dance classes. I know they are supposed to be fun, but here’s how it usually goes down for me:

  1. Watch in bewilderment as the instructor demonstrates the move.
  2. Try move. Get it backwards.
  3. Try again and run into the person next to me.
  4. Try once again and get the first half but fall down on the second half.
  5. Finally get the move!! Oh crap, everyone else is done.
  6. The instructor is demonstrating the next move. See step 1.

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Stuff I can do, now that I have a kid

~ newbiemomsite ~ 4 Comments

There is a lot written about the things you can’t do as a parent. (Mostly because those adorable children cramp our style. Yep, they are real buzzkills.) However, no one ever talks about the stuff that you can only do because you have kids.

Let me tell you about some unexpected perks of being a parent. No, not unconditional love and all that crap. You probably know about that anyway.

Here are some things I can do now that I have a kid:

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Things No One Tells You About Your Body After Baby

~ newbiemomsite ~ 12 Comments

Quick warning: if you are one of my male readers (yes, I have those), this may be one of those posts you want to skip. Yes, even though it talks about boobs. Okay ladies, read on.

I still remember going to visit a friend a month after having her first baby. At the time, she was one of the first of my university friends to have a baby and most of us in attendance were childless. Someone asked the new mom what was different about her body after the baby, and she responded with, “What’s not different?” At the time we laughed, thinking that she just didn’t want to talk about it. We changed the subject. I now realize that this was one of the truest answers she could have given.

Even though I had done the requisite research about recovery from childbirth, I was still surprised by some of the changes my body has gone through since my son was born. During a recent mom’s night out with the mom squad, it became clear that I was not the only one.

So, I asked the mom squad to tell me what surprised them about their post-baby bodies:

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Baby MB Learns to Crawl

~ newbiemomsite ~ 6 Comments

Well, after about 8 months, it has finally happened. Baby MB has learned to crawl. Well…sort of crawl. Rather than the traditional crawl, he has opted to do the worm whenever the urge to move strikes him. (Which is often.)

Since he is not the first of his baby buddies to crawl, I began baby proofing the house early. I put up some baby gates, changed the outlet covers and did a sweep of the house for dangerous objects. I felt prepared.

As usual, I was wrong. Here are some things I was not prepared for when the baby started crawling: Continue reading →