My New Joy

The new family of four!

So some, (who knows maybe many?) of you are wondering why the posts aren't as often as they used to be? Well it's because I have a new little daughter! That's right, on Jan 27, 2013 7:09pm Kaia Renee came into this world. Albeit by emergency c-section which was scary, but I'm okay and Kaia is wonderful. (It wasn't REALLY bad as in rushing to the operating room everyone get out of the way, but as my OB put it, the operation was an urgent emergency situation, as opposed to an emergency emergency. -- Her heart rate strip kept going flat during labour, as in not enough variance) She came into this world at 8lbs 3oz and the doctors are pretty sure they got my dates wrong as she was born at 36 weeks and 6 days. Ya think? She cried healthily through the rest of my operation and I was out of recovery pretty quickly.

I can't be more thankful that we are both okay and healthy, but oy-vay. If at all possible do NOT have a baby via c-section. I'm still no feeling completely myself, over 3 weeks later. My incision still hurts on and off. And I'm sick of not being able to do the things I'd like to. To top things off I got mastitis 5 days ago..... so ummm yeah I definitely have an excuse to not be blogging as much. :P LOL. The point is though, despite the fact that I've missed a few posts I can't be away from my computer for too long. I love writing too much, and this blog has really become an amazing outlet. A source of therapy I guess you could say. When my mind can no longer revise or edit in the fiction world, I can come here and hash out thoughts, type out ideas and really just write.

So in the coming weeks my posts may come as often as I'd like them to or they may be terribly erratic and barely show up at all. But this new little girl has stolen my heart so much that I'm sure it's more than understandable. I'm now part of a family of four. Me, my husband Tim, my son Everett, and my daughter Kaia. To quote Bella from the Twilight novel Breaking Dawn: "There was no division--my love was not split between them... It was more like my heart had grown, swollen up to twice its size" I love each member of my family just as much and it's simply that my capacity to love has grown. Kaia is a new and wonderful joy in my life. Here's to new motherhood! :D

Cheers!

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I'm Not Dead, I Just Haven't Been Blogging. Here's Why:

So this blog pettered on the edge of a precipice at the beginning of July and fell to what could've been it's death. Thankfully it survived the fall, and is now being revived back to life.

The reason why there has been absolute blog silence for over a month? I am currently 13 weeks pregnant. Enough said.

I am ecstatic to be pregnant again, this new little one is due Feb 2013. Making the difference between my two children almost exactly 3 years as my son was born in March of 2010. I was hardly sick at all with my first pregnancy and so when this time around I was unexpectedly laid up most days for a month, many things fell by the way side. Blogging being one of them.

Now that I am finally starting to feel like myself again I'll be back. :D It will take me a few weeks to get back in the swing of things and to once more write some blog posts in advance but I will get there eventually.

To all my wonderful and faithful readers, thank you for sticking with me. You'll be hearing my thoughts, ideas, opinions, and day to day doings of life again soon. :P

To all those amazing authors who have requested book reviews. I know you haven't even received emails explaining why it has taken me so long to reply. I apologize. I am slowly going to go through the list and will respond to the requests as I received them. I'm sorry also to those authors that were supposed to have reviews posted in July and they weren't, they will be up soon.

On a different note, my husband and I won't be finding out what we're having, we enjoy the surprise. We also choose three names for each sex and then decide which name once we've seen the baby. For those who are also pregnant: One of my favourite internet sites is BabyCenter. They have a great "my baby this week" feature sending out weekly emails, and so many articles the amount of information is staggering. I also use the iPregnancy app on my iPhone. It's got a countdown centre, more info and a place to keep track of all my doctor's appointments.

For any pregnant woman who is high risk or simply wants to learn more, feel free to contact me. I am considered a high risk pregnancy because I had a pulmonary embolism in 2007. Essentially it was a blood clot in my lung. As a regular pregnant woman is 3-4 times more likely to develop blood clots than a woman who is not pregnant, it is something your doctor will watch for. Because I have had a serious blood clot in the past, my risk is significantly higher. I will be going on blood thinners as a preventative while pregnant and most especially for 6 weeks following birth as that is when the risk is highest for blood clots to develop. The blood thinners involve me giving myself a shot once or twice a day. I have only met one other woman who also has to do this. But I definitely wanted to put this on here because if anyone needs some support I am here, and also to make women aware that pregnancy is different for so many woman. I just happen to be more in the minority, but that is ok. :D

Here's to being pregnant (cause even though I've been sick I'm still so excited!)
And to blogging again! I'm very happy to be back. Yay!

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Cheers! :D

Mommyhood Moments

There are many who are mothers. But for those of us who don't have year round live-in nannies that put the children to bed in gold-plated cribs, we live in the world of 'Mommyhood'. Anyone who is a permanent resident of this realm knows exactly what I'm talking about. To give those other readers in the blogosphere a taste of what Mommyhood is like here's a few things that have inducted me into this realm:

Walking on a very uncomfortable boot only to pull it off and discover that there was a fruitloop in it.

Finding stains on my shirt, pants, pajamas, you name it, and having no idea where they came from.

Realizing there's playdoh under my nice freshly done nails.

Reaching that point where not putting my hair in a ponytail is all of a sudden 'fancy'.

Discovering that the 'dirt' I was forever trying to scrub off my kids' head was actually freckles (a year and a half later).

Searching forever to find the baby nail clippers, only to pull them out of the bottom of my purse a week later.

Putting my hand in a coat pocket after a long while and pulling out an unused diaper two sizes smaller than what my kid currently wears.

Anyone else have some fun Mommyhood Moments? I'd love to hear about them. :D Hope this made all you mommies (and you non-mommies) laugh.

Cheers!

Lovely Lovable Libraries

Libraries are one of those wonderful places that I have amazing memories of, both from my childhood and as an adult. Summer reading programs and finding a new book you've never read before. Getting a new library card to put in your tiny purse at the age of ten. I hope we all have memories like that.

There's a lot of digital reading and eReaders that are around now. They are a joy and a treasure, but there's something about the tactile sensation of holding a book in your hand that you can't wait to read. As an adult the hardest adjustment I've had to make is that I can't start reading my book on the way home like I did as a child, as I'm now driving the car.

Picture via mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com

My son loves books, and I'm very happy to continue to encourage that.  I still remember sitting on my bed listening to my father and mother read me both the classics and other lovable books. Ramona and Her Mother, Heidi, The Wizard of Oz, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I still have my first ever library card and I cherish it. 

Librarians were and still are amazing tools. You can tell them your interests and they'll often introduce you to a new book that you're sure to love. One such librarian introduced me to Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher when I was in grade three. It's now a favourite of mine and I've since enjoyed reading it out loud to my younger siblings. 

Don't let your library card lapse into a dusty ornament. Support our local libraries & librarians (& the amazing programs they run) and don't hesitate to pick up and explore the wonderfully crisp tactile pages of the books they are the guardians of. 

Go hit your local library :D

Cheers!