mom

What the Pink Pool Toy Taught me about Gender

~ newbiemomsite ~ Leave a comment

I am happy to say I have another article running on Her View from Home this week.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you wish you had responded differently? Well, this is about one of those times. This one has been brewing for a while, and I finally found the brain power to articulate my feelings.

Here is an excerpt:

It all started with a pink pool toy. It was just an ordinary toy, but this one pool toy made me question my values and my deeply held beliefs. It took me down a peg.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up a little bit.

During the summer, my husband, one-year-old son and I took a short vacation in a nearby town. We were staying in a hotel with a nice pool and I had bought the perfect pool toy for our son. It was a small boat, with holes so he could stick his legs through and float around the pool. There was just one problem. I had left that toy at home.

Determined to enjoy the pool, I sent my husband across the street to Walmart to buy another one. He came back shortly and tossed the bag on the sofa. I opened the box and my heart sunk.

Read more here.

Advertisement

I want to go back to work and I don’t feel bad about it

~ newbiemomsite ~ 2 Comments

Today is my first day back at work. Before you offer me a tissue, I am actually very happy about it.

I have been on a maternity leave for 1 year with my son. I have enjoyed the time and feel lucky that my country allows me to take a year of leave. I feel a little nervous about heading back, but overall I am looking forward to going back to work.

This can be a hot button issue for new moms. I know that some new mothers will read this and be completely mystified about why I would want to return to work and put my son in daycare. They will stay home for a variety of reasons. Some will go back to work, but count the minutes until they can return to their kids. I am not this person. I make no judgements about how you decide to care for your children, but I don’t think I am going to be the mom crying in the car after dropping her son off at daycare on my first day of work. I want to go back to work, and I don’t feel bad about it.

Let me explain: Continue reading →

The Last Thing you Want to Hear When you Call the Hospital in Labour

~ newbiemomsite ~ 2 Comments

It has been a year since the birth of Baby MB and I am finally ready to write about it.

First, he was super late. Super, unbearably late. You can read my other post on that part here.

I began feeling contractions for 3 days before his birth, which were irregular and got my hopes up, but each day passed with no baby. Finally the day after my own birthday I woke up feeling pretty sure I should call the hospital. When I did, I was absolutely shocked at what they said.  Continue reading →

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:

Continue reading →

To My Son on his First Birthday

~ newbiemomsite ~ Leave a comment

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 →

World Records held by Moms

~ newbiemomsite ~ Leave a comment

The Olympics continue to make us all into sports fans this week. Last time I wrote about my ideas for Mom Olympic events. (Or Momlympics, if you will.) This week, after watching athletes crush world records in the aquatic events, I started thinking about what kinds of world records would be held by moms. You know, if someone had time to keep track of that kind of thing. (I don’t. Don’t ask me.)

Anyway, here are some world records that would be held by moms:

Continue reading →

If Moms Had their Own Olympic Games

~ newbiemomsite ~ Leave a comment

Hi all,

Anyone else have Olympic fever this week? In honour of the Olympics I wrote a post for Her View from Home about what would happen if moms had their own Olympic events. Though I realized later that I forgot to add “Baby gate hurdles”, I think the other events are pretty solid.

Here’s a short excerpt: Continue reading →

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:

Continue reading →

10 Commandments for Travelling with your Baby

~ newbiemomsite ~ 6 Comments

I. Thou shalt bring all the baby’s toys in hopes of distracting them, but all the baby shall  want to do is play with napkins.

II. Thou shalt attempt to pack a sense of humour and some patience. Thou will not be able to fit those things in thine suitcases because of all the toys.

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.

Continue reading →