Off to the Gold Medal Race!

Tomorrow is the ultimate challenge, tomorrow is the designated 'birth day' of Baby Burton!

I know many of you weighed in on the baby pool for the March 2nd scheduled c-section day, but the hospital did a few switches and here we are going in for an 8am spot tomorrow morning. It's the gold medal match and I'm both pysched and scared. There's something both calming and incredibly frightening about 'knowing' what comes next.

I'll be signing off for a few weeks while I have a little babymoon and enjoy all the special firsts, with our last. It's almost 9pm as I type, so in less then 12 hours our new joy will be in our arms.

Wish us luck and good health and I'll be in touch!

Cut up your own kids hot dogs! Better yet, don't serve 'em!

Glazing over the paper today and noticed an article about the size & shape of hot dogs and a doctor who is calling on the manufacturers to change the shape of the cylinder shaped dogs because they are choking hazards.

That made me go "Hmmmmmm".

I get the doc's point, why not fix something that is poorly designed? We adjust the natural shape of grapes or carrots by cutting them into manageable, safe sizes. Hot dogs are manufactured to be the perfect size to block a child's airway, so would it hurt the meat company to consider this a valuable idea?

On the other hand, I see this totally as the parent's responsibility. It's my choice what I feed my kids, so it's my responsibility to ensure it's as safe as possible - from the right size to the healthiest choice. Why pass the blame and make the company do this?

But even better - stop feeding your kids crappy hot dogs! The shape is certainly NOT the only thing wrong with the hot dog!

If we're gunning for safety and good health here then don't feed kids chicken lips and pig scraps. I know, I know..... there are veggie options and 'all beef' and heck even organic hot dogs on the market, maybe that's passe to call them chicken lips or aghast 'cancer dogs' which we jokingly called them in university. But we have so many good options out there - why feed our kids wieners at all?

I am not a perfect mom and I don't feed my kids an organic diet- we're pretty middle of the road here - but I aim for healthy food and try my best to feed them things from scratch. If there's a hot dog treat here occasionally, I can darn well remember to cut the tube steaks up and monitor them as they gobble them down (which they do, there is something naughtily delicious about a hot dog....).

I'd rather hear that pediatrician talking about the sodium & nitrates in the hot dogs and getting the companies to remove that before they figure out a way to make a hot dog patty or something non tube-like. Seriously, that would be way better use of his time.

(PS: give me your thoughts below in the comment section -- what do you think??)

It's a real baby inside me, yes it IS!

Holy Smokes, that's a REAL person inside me!

Have reached 37 weeks pregnant with the idea that another person is joining our family. Have watched my belly (and my arse!) grow to massive sizes without truly comprehending there is a PERSON living inside me.

This little person looks like this now - that is a fully cooked baby in there. And that foot there is exactly where I get super soccer kicks.

Okay, okay, I know I'm getting to be a broken record here but this is seriously a miracle! Really!

You'd think I'm new at this with my level of awe and surprise but it gets me every time. I don't care what you believe in, it could be God or whatever, but you have to admit whoever thought up this incredible blueprint is pretty awesome.

I'm proud to actually make dinner. But guess what, I'm MAKING A BABY! From scratch! A real human being - that feels like a darn super power.

I'm in awe today....

Our Monthly Contest!

Enter to Win our monthly contest this month brought to you by Seasons-UV!





Contest runs from February 15th through March 15th and the winner will be posted on our blog! You can enter once each day!

Owning the podium

We're in Olympic fever in this house right now and in awe of the courage, strength and determination our Canadian athletes demonstrate. They are truly amazing... both for their tremendous skill but also for their profound dedication to both sport and a lifestyle I personally could never live.

Many call the athletes daring, brave and a bit crazy as they whip down mountains and tracks in what looks so dangerously adventurous I have to sometimes cover my eyes. They possess something intrinsically that I could never own.

Especially now, as my super pregnant waddle has been perfected.

Therefore, I find it hilarious when some people use the same adjectives to describe our super athletes as my husband and I as we move into the arena of 3 children. Perfect strangers regularly comment that we are daring, brave, & crazy for having a third baby.

Really!? Is this a fluke that everyone keeps saying this? Is it brave to have a 3rd child? We're adventurous? Daring? It's not a 13th child, it's just one extra 3rd babe, and we're not out there doing flips in mid-air.

I realise there may be some small similarities and it's all to do with perspective. I could never imagine racing headfirst down a luge track and expect to not throw up the whole way. I guess some people put having the 3rd baby into that same category. It's unreasonable to them. They view an extra child like how I view the scary moguls. Why put yourself in a leg snapping situation if you don't have to?

A great momstown member Julie Cole, mom of 6 kids, hosted a talk for momstown Burlington this week about being the 'Mom of Many'. It was interesting to listen to so many moms share about their yearning for a large family and how they planned to make family life work with a bigger crew. These women weren't aiming for super-size status either, apparently a big family is defined as more than two kids. No one in the room thought I was nuts for having a third child.

But outside that group I still hear it often - how we're brave to go for a third. What does that mean? Is that a compliment or just a commentary that says more about the person who thinks you're brave?

In 2 weeks, (just after the Olympics are over), we will tip the scale of 'normal family size' as our baby arrives. I'm excited to be at the top of a new mountain and as tricky as the course looks ahead, I'm motivated by the challenge and I know my partner will be with me to help navigate and cheer me on. Even if I snap that leg.

As my hubby proudly announces, with 3 kids we can now own the podium! It may not be for everyone, but it's a perfect 10 score for us.

momstown baby pool!

Two weeks to go until showtime! March 2nd the newest momstown baby is making its appearance (by planned c-section)!

I think I'm ready -- my post about diapers in the house got me movin'. I now have teeny newborn clothes washed & ready and most of the other preliminary stuff ready to go. Still have 2 weeks to get into the headgame though... I keep forgetting there will be a precious newborn here soon - who has a name & a face!

Time for you all to get in on the action! Who doesn't love a fun baby pool!?

To enter, please post a response to this blog with your guesses for:
- gender
- weight
- length

You can also play along with the quick poll above but it doesn't enter you into the baby pool contest. We'll have some fun baby prizes for the winners too!

You can enter until March 2nd at noon, after that the baby pool is closed and we'll announce the results post c-section (well Christi will as I will be totally into my babymoon by then!).

A few hints to help you along (or not, because your guess is as good as mine!)
- 1st babe was 4lb, 11oz (37 wks) 19 inches tall
- 2nd babe was 10lb, 3oz (41.5 wks) 22.5 inches tall
- 3rd babe will arrive @ 38.5 wks
- I'm craving both salty & sweet!
- I have no inclination (not really) of which gender it will be

fun fun fun!

Making time for the good stuff

Yep, today was a bad day. Today was the day that had the right person said the right thing to me I would walked completely away from all this. Woulda wiped my hands clean and said enough is enough.

All I can say is thank God I was scheduled to volunteer in the kindergarten classroom today. There's something about sitting with little 4 and 5 year olds learning to read that puts the entire world into perspective.

My trouble has been brewing for some time and I'm certain there is not a mom entrepreneur out there who actually knew what she was getting into when she started. I know our business is not a single thing like what we thought we were doing when the idea blossomed 3 years ago. In fact, it hardly resembles that initial idea (it's even better!). And my personal commitment is about 400% more than what I thought I would be doing. Same goes for my partner Christi. We've had some good cries today.

It's bizarre, but those are good things. How boring would it be if plans worked out just so and there were no peaks & valleys? How awful would it be to be stagnant? It's a good thing to be busy and be challenged non-stop.

But it's darn exhausting, it leaves no room for error or any space for personal emergencies. Let alone time to just pee.

When I was in the classroom today the teacher asked me "Do you really have time for this?".

To which my cheerful answer was "Nope!" and then I paused and said,

"But you have to make time for the good stuff."

It was like a lightening bolt hit me with that statement.

I'm not quitting this ride, it's a good ride. But I'm making more time for the good stuff and the rest can sit quietly and wait its turn. Mama only has 2 hands.

Crafty corner: preschool Valentine Crafts

The big red heart day is approaching and our house is covered in red & pink crafts! Add anything red or pink to your usual crafts and voila! Instant Valentine! My 4 year old enjoyed these simple crafts this week.

The Love Bug

Simply cut out 3 (or more!) hearts and glue together. Add a face and some antenea and you have an inchy valentine worm! Make some legs and it could be a valentine caterpillar...

The Rosey Heart (my 4 yr old named this one)

Simple to prep -- just some tissue paper cut into squares and cut a heart from something sturdy like construction paper or foam. Put white glue on something flat (like a paper plate) and find a thin marker to use to create the 'rose".

Put the tissue paper under the end of the marker and wrap it around the cylinder of the marker, lightly dip the bottom of the tissue in glue and stick on your heart. Repeat over and over (the more the better but it can be a test of hand/eye co-ordination for a younger child..) to create these 'roses' on your heart until all filled in.

The picture is hard to show all the pretty tissue paper roses, but if you think back far enough, you'll remember doing this craft in school and it will all come back!

Goodnight Baby, Good Morning Big Boy

Andrew is officially a big boy today - he slept a full night in his Big Boy Bed!

With full countdown to baby #3 the monkey had to be evicted from the crib. To be honest, I was a wee bit nervous since Andrew didn't seem the least bit interested in his newly painted room.


Also, knock on wood - he's been a good sleeper so I wasn't entirely ready for the transition myself or ready to take the Hurricane out of his jail/crib and let him have free roam... but it had to be done so better to rip off the band aid then to linger in limbo.

We took Andrew mattress shopping and then built up the mattress delivery. Gosh -- it arrives in a Delivery Truck - and as all parents of 2 year old boys know, any type of truck is a cool truck!

Classic delivery system, you get a 'window' of like half a day to wait around for it and by 6pm my kid was growing tired of racing to the window each time he heard any type of engine drive by. But at 6:40pm, just ahead of bedtime, the truck showed up.


That delivery truck was seriously better than SANTA. Combined by the fact the whole delivery process identically mimicked a book we borrowed from the library (Billy's big boy bed) little Andrew was in pure heaven.

And thrilled that the giant package was just for him. He announced over and over to the delivery guys that it was "Andrew's big boy bed!" ever so proudly. I had the camera out but wished it was the video as he was as sweet and excited as could be.

Immediately, Andrew wanted on his sheets and was ready for bed. I have never seen this kid so happy to head to sleep.

Daddy and big sis were at swimming lessons so missed all the action ~ secretly I enjoyed having it all to myself because as I recall it was Daddy who had the turn with Lauren for this milestone last time.

We cuddled and read book after book and sang songs. I wasn't sure if Andrew was going to actually sleep there or just have fun in the bed. But he snuggled in with me and relaxed in his new space and room.

True of any big milestone, there was the melancholy that comes with it. I shared Andrew's excitement for the new phase but am so sad that my munchkin is big enough for his own bed.

With such reluctance I placed him in his crib as a teeny babe and overnight he's grown into a rambunctious toddler. In the short steps from crib to the big bed it feels like he's grown like 15 years. My boy is going to sleep in this room, in his strong, walnut antique bed for years to come until he's grown up. How does such evolution happen in 2 minutes?

Sigh. I feel like the mom in the classic 'I'll Love You Forever" book.

So, when Andrew asked for another book or another song, I just kept going because I knew as soon as he fell asleep, I'd lose my baby forever and wake up to a real big boy.