Life Lately

Wearing Red in support of the fallen RCMP officers in Moncton last week

My two girls are both doing great. Molly is a wonderful child and I am feeling blessed to have this time with her at home at this age. However, she is also a very active child and she is curious which means that she is constantly chattering, singing and asking questions (this is NOT a bad thing but if I haven't had coffee yet and I was up all night, my patience can run thin ;)). Her favourite question is a variation of "what". For instance, if I tell Molly that we're going to a store, she will say "what kind of store?" or I tell her that we're going to play a game, she says "what kind of game?" or "what colour is it?" or something like that. It is hilarious and she gets so excited when we're going to Sobeys for groceries. Overall, she still desperately loves her little sister and she especially loves to make her smile. She also loves to comb her hair (gently) :). She started playing soccer this summer (See photo below) which has been great fun so far. I love watching the two of them together, and I am feeling so happy that our family has this beautiful additional member. 

Rocking Heidi braids a la What I Wore

Happy to be seeing the world from this angle :)

Lucy is a sweet baby who is already adored by all of our family and friends. She is still eating well and gaining weight - she is also over the 100th percentile for height (25 inches at 2 months) so she is mostly wearing 6-9 month clothing. She is starting to sleep for longer stretches at night most of the time, but some days she does not nap well. I find that the days where she naps for a 2-3 hour stretch are so much more relaxing because I can get cleaning done, or I can grab a quick shower with Molly right outside the door watching 3 wheels on the bus Youtube videos...or I can play outside with Molly ETC ETC. On some days, Lucy will only sleep for small snippets of time during the day and it is much more draining for me because I have to constantly console or feed her. However, overall, things are great and I can't complain because she is a very happy and content baby who is anxious to explore the world around her. She is fascinated by mobiles (we have one with bears that moves) and likes to play on her playmat or observe things overhead such as hanging toys or the ceiling fan. She is not fantastic at taking her bottle (expressed milk if I am away from her) but I hope she will get better at that. She also won't really take a soother yet, so we might just not bother with it. She is outgrowing her bassinet so we will be moving her into her crib in her own room in the next couple of weeks sometime (this kind of stresses me out but I know she will be fine and might even sleep better ;)).

Big smiles :)

2 months old May 31

The end of May until mid June is HUGE for celebrations in our family - Brian's dad has a birthday, then Brian's birthday June 5, our anniversary June 9, his brother's birthday June 14 and then Father's Day yesterday. I feel like I need a break from all the celebrating ;). Brian turned 30 this year which he was unhappy about (haha) but I think he is coping OK now. We went out for all-you-can-eat sushi for our anniversary while my mother in law watched the girls and it was great but we stuffed ourselves too much!!!

With the warmer weather, we are getting outside for walks a lot more frequently. I still usually walk with Lucy in the Ergo carrier and Molly in the stroller unless it is a shorter distance and Molly walks. I want to try Molly in the ergo on my back and Lucy in the stroller sometime because Lucy gets extremely warm in the Ergo and I can't really take her out if we reach a destination (i.e. playground) and she is asleep. Molly also really likes to "do exercises" with me in the mornings. I usually do 20 mins of HIIT with her and she is great - she loves to do jumping jacks and jogging in place and boxing moves etc. I also made her a set of "weights" last week with wooden sticks from the dollar store and pieces of a pool noodle:

I have been running a few times when Brian gets home from work at 3:30 before supper and that feels great, but I really need to get my fitness level back up. Now that I'm getting a bit more sleep some nights, I definitely feel like I can make this more of a priority.

Overall, when I get "free time" (such as right now), I have a list of 800 things that I want to get done (most of which involve organizing each room of our house now that I am in them all daily), but today I wanted to drop in here and blog a bit. Although I'm unsure where the blog is headed, I still want to record how things are going so that I can look back on it. I also want to get some of my planned posts up and write about some other interesting things happening these days :) I even have a fun recipe or two that I can share someday if I get the time.

So, in a nutshell, life is great here and I am very happy living it. I am also debating sharing my blog with our family and friends (most do not know about it at the moment), but I want to read through all of my old posts first. (Yes, I realize that anyone can find it at any time, but I doubt they would happen upon it unless directed to it!)

Until next time (whenever that is)...

Talking about a crossroad (Journal Prompt #1)

Danielle at Sometimes Sweet is hosting a link-up of sorts this week with a journal prompt. I found this prompt very interesting, and it is a topic that is on my mind constantly, so I decided to post about it today and link up with her HERE tomorrow when her post goes up. 

Here's the prompt:

Everyone has a time in their life they view as a crossroad. Sometimes you can see it as it's happening, and you're able to choose one way or another. Other times you may not realize you're there until you look back, and see what a turning point it really was. This week, write about a time you view as a marker in your life; a distinct place where things changed, for better or worse. 

I think that I have encountered two very distinct crossroads in my life that led me to where I am right now (albeit many other decisions/turning points).

The first of these was when I felt a strong pull to move to Nova Scotia to attend university at St. FX.

I had a high school guidance counselor who basically told anyone who’d listen that St. FX was the best university in the country, and that anyone who went there would agree (I have since found this not to be completely true- while I *LOVED* my time there, a few people did drop out or move away and not love it). I took a year of undergrad in Calgary at a small university college, which was great in many ways, and the courses that I took there were among the most interesting in my entire education. When I came to St. FX, I was a second year student, but I was new. It took me quite awhile to feel like I fit in, and I learned a lot about myself and who I wanted to become. 

(Via St. FX website - beautiful, isn't it!)

It was also at St. FX that I decided to pursue Psychology as my major, which in turn should have led me to an outstanding career by now (lol, kidding). Had I stayed in Calgary for university, I wouldn't have gotten to know my grandmother as a second mother. I wouldn't have made close friendships with some of my cousins and aunts and uncles. I wouldn't have met many of my current friends, and I probably wouldn't have moved to Halifax to start my life post-undergrad. I wouldn't have developed a passion for east-coast music or the Nova Scotia culture. I wouldn't have met Brian. 

Arguably, I could still be living a happy and successful life had I not moved out east. There is nothing wrong with Calgary, and I love it because it's my hometown. However, since moving out east, I have found that the pace of life and the size of Halifax are much more in tune with what I want out of life. It's hard not to feel happy walking down the waterfront in the summer, or listening to the ocean at Peggy's Cove. Although there are things (and people) I miss since moving here, I can't even imagine what I would have missed out on if I'd stayed at home for university. 

("My hometown" that will always hold a place in my heart)

This brings me to my second major crossroad, which I have discussed before (here). Meeting Brian changed my life, because our relationship was my first serious one, and it kind of came out of the blue in some ways. (You can read more about how we met here). However, the crossroad I’m talking about came after we’d been dating for 9-10 months and unexpectedly found out that I was pregnant (with Molly). This situation could have played out in more than one way, but we were fully in love, old enough and sure enough to commit to becoming a family and raising our daughter together. There are many times when I almost lament that we didn't have the same time as a “family of 2” before becoming a family of 3, but I never, ever regret bringing our beautiful daughter into the world. 

This time in my life (pregnancy/motherhood) was a crossroad because I did, understandably, drift away from some friends. Some friends had no idea how to relate to me anymore and could not accept the changes happening in my life. I was also fortunate to make new friends. Mommy friends. I also grew closer to my family, and to Brian’s family, who have been nothing but supportive of us since the day we found out about Molly. I don’t ever for a second regret the turning point that led me to this path in life. Even though it may not always be the life I’d imagined, in many ways, it has surpassed some of my hopes and dreams I’d had for my future. 

One of my close friends from university moved to Korea to teach English for 2 years in September 2009, just as I was finishing my Master's in Halifax. In March 2010, I met Brian. By the time my friend came back at Christmas in 2011, I was engaged to someone she'd never met and we were embracing life with a newborn. She had known that things would be different with me, but it was a huge shock to her (not in a bad way, but it took awhile for us to relate to one another the same way again). Sometimes life events change you, and I think this was the case with me. I was still essentially the same person, but my priorities had shifted, and I had a little person's life in my hands. 

I'm happy that these crossroads happened, and I'm content with the decisions that I made at turning points. I think there are turning points in our lives all the time. I often struggle with the "what if" aspect of making a decision. For instance, if I hadn't taken a certain job, would I be where I am now? If I had done such-and-such differently, would life be different now? It can be enough to drive me crazy, so I think it's better to just accept that life will always throw curveballs at us, and it is best to move forward with the support of those around us. I have to admit that I don't really agree with the phrase "Live life with no regrets", because I think that you can learn from regrets and move on. That being said, I think that dwelling on the past and dwelling on things that you regret can be a bit of a waste of time. If it's something that you regret and you can change, then change it! My lovely husband says that we always have two choices in any situation: You can accept it, or you can change it. (Isn't he wise? haha).

Peggy's Cove, NS

What crossroads have you encountered that changed your life? Do you regret them, or do you embrace them? 

Not all those who wander are lost...

Africville Park, Halifax, looking towards the MacKay Bridge

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

(From “The Fellowship of the Ring”, J.R.R. Tolkien)

I didn't know of the poem that encompassed the line “Not all those who wander are lost” until I started thinking about writing this post and I looked it up, but I do love the Lord of the Rings. It's a true statement too. I think that the start of the year (and maybe just winter, in general) causes many people, including myself, to question where they are going and who they want to become. Like many, this is something that I have struggled with for the past few years since going through some transitional phases in my life. Life changes have caused me to question who I am. 

Now, before I delve into this much deeper, I should clarify that the life changes I’m referring to are all normal parts of a typical mid-twenties life. Finishing university. Finding a job. Meeting a long-term boyfriend. Getting pregnant after dating for 10 months (this might not be typical ;)). Getting engaged to the wonderful long-term boyfriend. Giving birth to a beautiful baby girl. Getting married. Buying a house. Starting a career-oriented job. Getting pregnant with a second child. Being laid off. None of this is (too) unheard of or out of the ordinary, even if it came at me in a way that I didn’t expect or plan for when I was younger. I should also clarify that none of these events has made me feel at all unhappy (except maybe for getting laid off on the same day we found out Baby # 2 was coming – but that’s another story :)). Most of these events have brought me abundant happiness, but they have also changed me into a different person in some ways, and there are times when I feel very lost and uncertain.

Here are the aspects of my life over which I am unbelievably and inexplicably certain about at this time:

1. I love my husband. I love being married, and I can't wait to see what our future holds.
2. I love my daughter (and future child arriving in 2 months, too). I love being a mother.
3. I love my family and my in-laws and I am so grateful to have such a supportive network.
4. I still have many of the same interests and hobbies as I had before I was a mother, but I find that I have a bit less time or drive to pursue them.

Here are some aspects that I feel moments of uncertainty about:

1. I love my friends, but friendships sometimes come and go depending on where you are in life. I'm not sure if I have as much in common with my old friends as I used to, and I'm not sure which friendships will last long-term.
2. I enjoy what I studied in university, but I am not sure if I will pursue a career in it. I am not sure what I will do after my year of maternity leave with Baby # 2. (This causes me nearly constant uncertainty).
3. I currently love living in Nova Scotia, and I don’t foresee us leaving anytime soon, but an unbeatable opportunity may arise someday that would cause a change in this (I almost never worry about this though).
4. I sometimes feel that I need to make more time for myself, but I don't know how to set limits on this and how to go about pursuing things that I might enjoy. 

I know that MANY, many "new"-ish mothers feel the same way as I do about many of these things. Motherhood requires a level of selflessness that inevitably changes a person. Amber at Crafty Healthy Mommy mentioned it in a post last week. When someone asks her to say something about herself, she might not know what to respond with. I feel that way too. Becoming a parent does not seem to have affected my husband in the same way that it has affected me, but it's not his fault. He still has the same friends that he has had since he was 5 years old. Those friendships will likely never end (and I would argue that male friendships are a bit different anyway ;)). He has still mostly had the time and ability and desire to pursue sports activities that he enjoys. He also loves his career (in general) and enjoys where he works and his co-worker relationships. Many times, I feel jealous of his ability to feel so grounded both as a father, a husband, a friend and an employee and wonder if I will feel the same way again soon. 

I am hopeful that this is the year that I figure out the answers to some of the things that I've questioned. Even though I'm not unhappy in life, I miss parts of who I used to be. I know you can't go back, but I'm excited to move forward and embrace all of the changes that are coming our way in 2014. I might be wandering, but I truly hope that I'm not lost. 

Does anyone ever feel this way? Am I over-analyzing it, or are these normal feelings? 

Today I'm also linking up with my fellow Canadian blogger and friend Haley at Truth be Told to share something my amazing and beloved husband does that drives me nuts. I should mention that he could easily think of 100 things I do that drive him nuts too, and that's just the way marriage works (in my mind.) The first thing that came to mind today is that I love him but...he has an impossible time finding things. He will ask me where something is, and I will tell him, and he will look for it (quickly), claim it is not there, and ask where else it could be or say it's missing forever. At this point, I usually get up, look in the same spot, and find the item right away. I have heard that this is a bit of a common man trait, so I can't really hold it against him, but it can be pretty amusing/annoying at times ;). 

This same husband also brought me Tums in bed last night even though he was 2 floors below me and not coming upstairs for any other reason, so there are some redeeming qualities to admire as well and I try to focus on those! ;)

Check out some other bloggers' vents about their significant others on Haley's blog today!

Tomorrow I've got a delicious and healthy recipe to share!!! 

Monday nostalgia

Happy Monday!!

Back to the grind after the weekend...hope everyone had a good one though!! Ours was really good, mostly because my sister spent the weekend with us and we don't see her very often. It was great to spend time with her and I hope she is able to move to NS later this year when she finishes med school. We also took Molly swimming for the first time in awhile and I haven't seen her so excited in months. She had the time of her life, so I think we'll have to take her more often!! It definitely tired all of us out too :)

Here she is, sleeping on the floor (her preference lately - we always move her to her bed an hour later) with her doll and puppy.

During pregnancy, it's pretty normal to have weird dreams, but I seem to have weird dreams about people that I haven't seen or talked to in years. It always weirds me out a bit the next day because I am thinking about the person/people and wondering what they are up to now, but at the same time, it's not usually a person that I'd feel comfortable "catching up with". Does this ever happen to anyone else? It's funny to me too because in a dream, I am always just remarkably close friends with said person/people and we are all caught up and in each others' lives like 10-15 years hasn't even passed. It is a bit of a mind game, but it's still nice to be remembering people. I have also had dreams about people that I've never even met but that Brian knows (so I have heard about them or something). These dreams are more imaginative, but also kind of strange to experience!

via Some e-cards

As I've mentioned before, my parents are hoping to pack up their home in Calgary and move to NS this year. My dad e-mailed me this weekend about selling his 1980s MacIntosh Plus and was wondering if I wanted it. He was mostly joking, because he could get some money for it on Ebay for sure, but it reminded me of being 7-10 years old and playing this awesome game called GLIDER on this computer. I'd love to play that again but probably won't ever get the chance. In the game, you basically just build and fly paper airplanes through various levels and there are obstacles to avoid, such as light switches which will catch the plane on fire and ceiling fans that will suck the plane up. It was pretty fun as a child, and I'm not the only one who was a big fan of it. I just found out that you can get the game as an App in iTunes, so maybe I'll spend some time catching up with it when I download it later on our old iPod touch. If only there was a similar game for Android...hmm...

The first computer in my life :)

Image via AppStorm

Sometimes I like to take a walk down memory lane, and other times it can be sad too. I have many, many wonderful childhood memories and I try to write them down or at least think about them or talk to my siblings about them often so that we can share these stories with our own children one day.

Do you have any unique childhood memories that you like to think about? Anyone else having weird dreams lately? We had a crazy storm here on Saturday night, so I think that contributed to my weird dreams too.

Where I'm From

At Christmas time, my dad's family members all write something and compile it into an annual anthology for my grandmother. My grandmother usually selects the topics (but you can write or submit anything you want!) and we all try to contribute something as a gift to her each year. It's a great family tradition, and my dad has encouraged us to write something each year. 

This year, I came across a post that I loved on Alison's blog, Writing, Wishing. It was a poetry exercise based on the poem Where I'm From by George Ella Lyon. I decided to write my own "Where I'm From" poem for our Christmas book this year, and I'd like to share it here too. If you'd like to see Allison's poem, you can find it here. You can also read more about the original poem here and follow a template for writing your own version here. 

Here's my poem:

I am from black and white sheet music and wet Speedo swim goggles.

I am from a productive and hard-working metropolis that maintains a country vibe and is home to many friendly citizens.

I am from the moors of Scottish heather, the small purple flower that is my namesake.

I am from Sunday mass, family board game nights, and a competitive spirit. I am from Ella and Wesley Munroe (parents’ names changed).

I am from both quiet musings in a circle at the dining room table and loud chitchat in a large group where everyone is always right.

I am from a family that values education and thoughtfulness, and the reminder that life is not always fair.

I am from a 2000 year old Roman Catholic faith that is growing and evolving under a new world leader this year.

I’m from Calgary, known to many as Cowtown, but I am also from the small island of Cape Breton, the home of many hearts. I’m from Acadian French meat pies, the jagged Rocky mountains, lively Scottish fiddle tunes,  the rolling plains, Alberta beef, and Atlantic seafood.

I’m from the family of 5 that camped our way across the country and sought out big things along the way, from a home that considered stuffed animals to be family members, and from the infamous sibling trio 3Mo. I’m from books that were read under the covers at night, from Jack stories made up on the spot, and from Hank the Cowdog and the jelly-bean game.

I’m from the old photo albums stacked in the basement, the box of childhood mementos that has been saved, and the soldier ornament hanging on my new Christmas tree. I’m from parents who constantly showed me the meaning of love. I’m from a family that I am proud to call my own, and one that I love to share with my husband and daughter. 

Where are you from??

Happy Wednesday, everyone!!

Someday...I will... (a link up with The Daily Tay!)

If you’ve never checked out The Daily Tay, you should head right on over and do that now. Taylor is REALLY funny…as in “laugh out loud” for real funny. She has a great way of poking fun at daily events and situations and she is a great writer. I love her stories about living in Chicago even though I’ve never been there. She is a gem in the blogging world, in my mind. When I saw that she was posting this link up, I knew I had to participate!!

Someday I will finish the book War and Peace which I have started 10 times but always put down because I lose track of which character is which. I mean, really…check out this character tree!

Via Wikimedia

Someday I will have the time and money to travel. There are countless places I’d love to visit, most notably Hawaii, Scotland & Ireland, Paris, Rome, New Zealand, Athens…etc etc. Those are just a few of MANY on a very long list.

Images via Google :)

Someday I will run a half marathon. My goal is for next October – but we’ll have to see how it goes (more on that in a later post this week!!)

Someday I will have a job either on my career path or one that I absolutely love. I still feel like this hasn’t happened for me, but I know it is possible sometime in the future.

Someday I (we) will take Molly (et al) to Disneyworld and Harry Potter world and probably have more fun than her.

Some E-cards

Someday I will take a romantic honeymoon with Brian and forget all of our worries and responsibilities at home (Ok…might not forget about Molly, but will relax on said honeymoon, haha!)

Someday I will own a piano and start playing more regularly again.

Someday I will get back into competitive swimming (at the Masters level) and improve my butterfly.

Someday I will watch fireworks in Halifax from a boat on the water.

Destination Halifax

Someday I will finish Molly’s baby book…

Someday I will take the hubby to a Habs game, a Blue Jays game and also take him to NYC. Wow, he is SO lucky!!

Someday I will...improve my photography skills. I've been really meaning to get on this one for awhile!!

Someday I will be a better blogger. I really want to, but I have to make the time for it.

Someday I will make everything I have pinned on Pinterest. HAHAHA who am I kidding? That will never happen. J

Thanks for the great link up, Taylor!! I'll be back later this week with some BIG NEWS!!

Our weekend and the hottest Monday ever

We had a beautiful, sunny weekend here in Halifax around 30 degrees each day. SO HOT OUT. It was great though! We weeded the garden, ran some errands, cleaned the cars (hubby not me) and went to a kiddie birthday party on Saturday morning...then went to my cousin's fiddle concert in Sackville in the afternoon, and a BBQ with my family that evening. Sunday, did more errands, took it easy and meal prepped and had my in-laws over for a BBQ. It's impossible to cook indoors in this kind of heat!

We also watched 2 interesting Netflix movies this weekend: Take me Home and Your Sister's Sister. I am a huge fan of Joel from Parenthood aka Sam Jaeger (who isn't? A stay at home Dad who is also a carpenter/contractor? Helloooooo)...and he starred in Take Me Home with his real-life wife. It was a cute story. Honestly though, if you've seen these pics around of Ryan Gosling talking to "women everywhere"...



(via Pinterest)

I feel like I could make some with Sam Jaeger. He's not as famous, but he's so easy on the eyes! Ok...girly moment over. Almost.



(Image via my hero website, IMDB and caption Heathershurrah)

Your Sister's Sister had some humor, and it starred from Mark Duplass The League and Emily Blunt, who I like, so it was a good one. Terrible ending though...don't watch it if you can't stand cliffhangers! Ugh!!

All in all, I feel like I re-charged my batteries a bit after a stressful week and I also got our kitchen floor washed and the bathrooms cleaned so I'd call that a successful weekend!! We spent a bit of the afternoon yesterday outside with Molly in her little kiddie pool and with the hose, and this resulted:





I just finished a strength training circuit that was CRAZY intense, but it got my heart rate up and my body sweating, so I can't complain. Now to have a protein shake and call it a night on that front. I'm going to prep my lunch for tomorrow and fold some laundry :)

We have another relatively quiet weekend coming up - anyone have any good Netflix recommendations? We have the American and Canadian versions, which gives us some good variety, but we spent a lot of time browsing.

See ya tomorrow for Tuesday's Tot Talks! I'm going to start off this series with Molly's birth story, which I haven't told on the blog before :)