Bye-bye blue baby clothes...

Blue onesies, little plaid overalls and wee sleepers with puppies and cars. All going into the bin marked "to go".

With a new little girl in the house, whom is our last (I'm announcing that since I have been asked this already a million times), the baby blue things are on their way out the door to make room for more pink & purple!

momstown holds a big mom-to-mom sale twice a year to share and sell gently used baby clothes, toys, books and baby equipment. I'm usually just a shopper but this year I'm a seller (plug: April 10th at Fern Hill School in Burlington!).

It's the first time I have sorted through clothes knowing that they are leaving, not just 'going away' for another time. It's odd to know these things are leaving the house permanently and it does feel a tad premature.

Andrew (#2) was a huge baby and grew so fast that he was wearing 6 months immediately and by-passed all our newborn clothes. I remember posting on momstown about how sad and bittersweet it was to tuck away wee little clothes. Into the bin went all the mini sleepers, teeny onesies and miniature socks. That time I was overwhelmed with sadness as I wasn't sure if we would have any more children and that whole "what if" question really bothered me.

momstown moms gave me a lot to think about when I wrote about those feelings and many moms spoke about either knowing or not knowing if they were 'done' yet. I avoided having to make a decision and got over my sadness by just tucking everything away and saving it all.

This time is totally different. I've set a couple of sweet favourites away for the memory box and I'm still reminiscing as I go through the items. But most of me is jubilant to be able to make space and clear out many rubbermaid bins labeled "Boy". I'll admit there is a twinge of melancholy as I gently touch each little golf shirt and remember sweet moments but overall it feels good to be moving on in a small way.

Contentment is what I feel now. I think contentment is about appreciating what you have versus focusing on what you want (or think you want). I feel lucky to have had a little baby boy who wore those cute outfits but now I'm perfectly contented to move along to the new stage with him.

Perhaps the melancholy is less because I have another baby already in my arms even as I type this. I'm entrenched in babyland with Megan and it's hard to miss something when you're smack-dab in the middle of it so to speak. But, I think I can declare that in fact I do own the 'done" gene and I'm content with 'only' 3 kids.

Good-bye boy clothes, we'll find you a good home.

Miss Megan is so worth the chaos

My world has been shaken these last 3 weeks. In a good way. A very good way by a perfect 8 pound baby named Megan Merredew.

She's shaken me with her 10 teeny fingers and 10 super long toes. Pointy little chin and dark tuffs of hair. Chubby round cheeks complete with a wee dimple. Her big gulps and sleepy milk sighs. The sheer smiles she brings her proud big sibs.

Megan arrived 3 weeks ago on March 1st, the morning after the biggest hockey game ever. Her daddy and I were stunned & thrilled to learn she was a 'she' and Miss Megan won our hearts instantly.

As with any new baby, everything is new again. I do not feel like a veteran with 3 kids at all and so far this experience is brand new.

I've been mentally blogging little episodes since Megan arrived. Like how I sobbed as I left the maternity ward knowing I would not be back. Why I've been frustrated by the lack of breastfeeding support for moms. How a 3rd c-section is nothing like a 1st or 2nd. How hours of breastfeeding + TV viewing means I am more aware of the world news (& the Food Network!) now than I have been in years and suddenly I have a million opinions on it all!

Alas, it has taken me 3 full weeks to be able to think straight or have the time to write something coherent. Or semi-coherent. And since my baby is now crying to fed again, so I won't elaborate now, but I will - and soon hopefully.


But my biggest 'Ah Ha' moment has been the realisation of how unknown my current path is. To be totally honest, I have no idea when I will be able to see past the fog, but I'm hopeful it will all click into place and soon enough I'll find the fine balance.

Tomorrow morning is my first morning alone and fully outnumbered. One mama, 3 kids and a rainy day. I'm prepped with a brand new DVD of the Princess & the Frog, cinnamon buns and a watch to count the minutes until grandparent reinforcements arrive at lunchtime.

It will be a good practise run for the chaos of the rest of my life. Gulp.

Must admit, I finally understand why everyone called me crazy & brave before. But I can learn to love and survive in crazy & chaotic. Miss Megan is so worth it.

Let the Games Begin!

I was raised in a family that loves games...all kinds of games. Give us a game and we can find a way to plan a party and play it with 20 people! Card games, Board games, word games, video games, you name it....we have probably played it! In fact, in my opinion, this is something that has kept our family close for many generations. Even the little ones get involved in the "gaming" at an early age sitting on the laps of adults and helping play cards or lay pieces down. It's almost a right of passage when you are old enough to sit at the table in your own chair and play yourself.

So, it is no surprise that my own kids are starting to LOVE games! We have game night every night before bed. After bath-time and before story-time, we drag out a classic game (we've only mastered three so far- Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, and Dominoes) and we play, and yes, we are competitive.

It's interesting to watch as the kids learn to grasp the concept of the games and the feelings that come with winning and losing. There are so many skills associated with games, as you know, but my just-turned-three year old has learned that he can only touch his pieces or people since he likes to move them everywhere and more importantly, my 4 year old daughter has quickly learned how to "quietly" cheat (and how even when you draw two cards "by accident" or spin the spinner a second time when you think no-one is looking, it may not always work to your benefit.

At the end of the day, though, what I hope they get from these games is a strong sense of pride in how they played the game, but most importantly the memories of a little friendly family competition.

So, what's on your family "game list" for today?

The Dance

Well, with Ann-Marie officially enjoying her "baby-moon", I decided that I would step in and post a little something. Now, I am not near the blogger that she is, but I will do my best. :-)

Marriage is tough, but today was a day that made me remember how precious each moment really is and how much I love my husband.

We've been married for almost 9 years and have three beautiful children. There are not a lot of days that we have two seconds to take for ourselves and we often cross paths except for late at night when we are both usually exhausted from a long day. This morning was different.

As we were all sitting around in our pj's, kids included, my 4 year old found a cd and placed it in the DVD player. It was just an old mix cd, and I am not even sure where she found it. We watched as the kids danced around the room laughing and singing, and then.....a song came one....

It was "The Dance" by Garth Brooks.

Oddly enough, I hadn't heard this song in YEARS!!! A rush of memories came flooding back from those dating years, and I remembered that this was the first song we ever danced to. My husband grabbed my hands and took me to the dance floor (currently our living room), and we shared a dance. Although, the setting was quite different, including the three little ones who were attached to our legs through the dance, the memories and the feelings that made me fall in love were all there.

It's amazing how there are those days where you feel it in your soul....the love that you have for another person and those feelings can overwhelm you. With that, I hope that each of you have a moment today to relive your "dance".