Prince or Princess: It's Time to Reveal

I always dreamed that my firstborn would be a boy. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I started calling our Baby Shrimp by the name we had chosen for him.

Three weeks before I was to find out, I had a feeling that I was having a girl. I knew we would be disappointed at first but we would love her just the same. My Mother always said as long as the baby is healthy, has ten fingers and ten toes, that’s all that matters.

Tuesday, September 1^st was the big day. As soon as I walked into the Sonographer’s office, she asked me what I was hoping for. I told her a boy but my gut feeling was telling me that it was a girl.

Forty-five minutes later, she kept her eyes on the screen and asked, “Do you still want to know what you’re having?”

Three weeks later I had some of my family and friends over for our gender reveal party. 

The vote was a close one. Six people voted for a boy and five voted for a girl. 

As the clock struck 7, one of my girlfriends said that there was no way that I would have a gender reveal party if I was having a girl.

Well, those who voted for a boy were…WRONG! We’re having a Princess and we couldn’t be happier.

Special thanks to my girlfriends Charlette, Amanda, Jordana and Lisa for helping me organize this party.  A BIG thank you to Jordana for taking such memorable photos.

Only 2, 184 more hours to go until I meet my Princess.

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

My Happiness Project: All Things Baby

It’s month ten of my Happiness Project and what a fun one this will be.

With only three months to go before I meet my little one, it’s time to get some things in order.

Last weekend, I attended the Baby Show at the Exhibition Place. The sessions that I attended were very informative. 

My “to do” list for this month includes:

1) Start and complete my baby registry

2) Finalize my baby shower list and have my girlfriends take care of the rest where my baby shower is concerned

3) Start shopping around for the BIG ticket items

4) Sign up for an Infant CPR course

5)  Sign up for a Lamaze Class

6) Sign up for a prenatal Yoga class at Balanced Life Yoga (maybe)

7) Start looking for a Pediatrician

Last week I added another relaxing pastime to my list - colouring. Sounds childish, right? Those were my exact thoughts during my last few visits at Chapters last month.

Last Friday while passing the adult colouring book display, I decided to stop and take a look and see what they had. I ended up purchasing the “Butterflies” colouring book with a pack of pencil crayons.

The Chapters in my area has an Adult colouring session every Wednesday afternoon that I'm going to attend .

On the days when I don’t want to read or even bake, I’ll resort to my childhood pastime - colouring with some music playing in the background.

What resolutions have you made for this month?

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)

One little cupcake coming right up!

A few months ago, my life took a surprising turn…I found out I was pregnant.

After getting over the initial shock, the reality of the situation began to sink in. I was finally going to be a Mommy. After burying those dreams late last year, my dream was finally coming to pass.

I’ll never forget seeing my little one at my first ultrasound appointment. He or she looked like a little shrimp. I then wondered if I would be able to eat shrimp during my pregnancy. 

After my appointment, I headed straight to the grocery store and bought a bag of shrimp to have with my dinner that night. Thank God I was able to keep it down. I then nicknamed my little one “Baby Shrimp”.

After going for my second ultrasound appointment at 8 weeks, I couldn’t help but cry. His or her tiny head was forming. His or her tiny arms and legs were beginning to sprout.

At the end of my 15 weeks, my pregnancy became more real when I felt that first kick and saw that tiny foot make an imprint on my tummy. All those fears of my Baby Shrimp not being alive quickly vanished.

There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for choosing me to carry this child. This has been an amazing experience thus far (minus the sleepless nights and back pain). I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world.

He or she has already been a blessing in my life and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for him…or her.

Only 2,688 more hours to go until this little cupcake is finished baking!

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

No more diapers

Wouldn’t it be nice if your baby was potty trained before their first birthday? Well, apparently that’s possible if you choose to Infant Potty Train your child (also known as Elimination Communication).  While this concept is mainly practiced in Asia and Africa, it is slowly becoming a trend in North America.

Infant Potty Training is when you introduce your baby to the toilet between birth and 3 months. Before doing so, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with your baby’s "elimination " schedule (i.e. how long after eating/drinking before he/she poops or pees). This is a great way to form a bond with your baby because you’re always watching for signals for when your baby needs to go.

This method is great for parents who want to avoid the costs of diapers. Babies tend to go through 10 to 14 diapers (or more) a day. 

Parents won’t be able to eliminate diapers completely. They will be needed when your little one heads to bed or when you’re going out.

It is also a great way to avoid diaper rashes. If trained to pee and poop in a toilet at an early age, parents won’t have to worry about their baby getting rashes from sitting in their mess for an extended period of time.

Just because parents potty train their baby at an early age, they still need to be prepared for plenty of accidents. With them being so young and unable to communicate verbally, they're not always going to make it to the toilet. 

The key to success is to be patient with your little one. Potty training at such an early age could become very frustrating. Take a break and try again. Your hard work and dedication will eventually pay off.

Would you try Infant Potty Training with your baby?

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Tick-Tock goes our Biological Clock

Most woman have dreams of having their own children. Oftentimes those dreams are put on hold for a variety of reasons. Some delay Motherhood because they want to climb the corporate ladder. Some have difficulty getting pregnant. Then there are those that got married later in life and some who are still waiting for Mr. Right.

This week I came across a story in the Toronto Star, “Giving birth at 56”. Tessa’s story is a typical 21^st century story – she got married, had three children, got divorced but still wanted to have a fourth child. With the help of In Vitro fertilization (IVF), a sperm and egg donor, she became pregnant and had a son.

I’m not hating on woman who decide to become mothers at age 40 and beyond but let’s take a look at the bigger picture. There are so many risks that you and your baby may face if you decide to get pregnant in your 40’s and 50's. Here are the most common concerns:

1 You may experience a harder time getting pregnant with your own eggs and will most likely have to pay for an egg donor

2 You raise the risk of having multiple miscarriages or having a child who ends up with a birth defect

3 Many end up having high blood pressure and gestational diabetes

4 Many give birth prematurely or end up having a baby with a low birth weight

5 When all your friends are making plans for retirement, you’ll be making plans to send your child off to University or College

Of course there are pros to having a child later on in life -  the main one being financially stable.

If you're able to have children before you turn 40, jump on the opportunity. If you're unable to get pregnant or waiting to get married, I suggest you start accepting your situation and start moving on. For those that are purposefully delaying getting pregnant, think of all the milestones you may miss if you decide to get pregnant in your 40's or 50's. 

What is your view on those that decide to have children in their 40’s and beyond?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)