She's ...

Here
Peaceful
Brown
Sweet
Calming
Squishy
Sleepy
Velvety
Yummy
Sister
Daughter
Mine

what I've learned in 6 weeks of motherhood

1. Doing one household chore a day is an accomplishment. Load of laundry or making a meal or changing the sheets or paying the bills. The operative word is ONE.
2. Little fingernails are sharp
3. On demand feeding is, well, demanding. And leaves little time for anything else
4. Taking a book out of the library doesn't mean you will read it
5. Babies make you stupid and unable to really hold a proper conversation
   
6. You start to talk in the 3rd person to your spouse in a passive aggressive way ... "Daddy is making a mess in the kitchen." "Daddy is taking his sweet time getting ready"
7. You will do anything to insure getting sleep, like going to bed at 8 pm every night and following the same pattern because it worked once
   
8. Boobs are just food and they come out everywhere
   
9. Smiles and giggles from your little one reduce you to a pool of mush
10. It is vital to all persons to get outside and get air every single day
11. Hideous windy Scotland rain makes number 10 challenging
12. You can't imagine how any single parent copes
13. Breastfeeding may burn off as many as 600 calories a day, but eating miniature Snicker bars in bed while nursing may counterbalance any weight loss
14. You can't help comparing your baby and your parenting to other people, even if you don't want to
15. You root and cheer for burbs and farts, but only from your little one
16. You know you are supposed to cherish every minute but secretly sometimes wish he was 4, potty trained and could chat with you
17. Fashion goes by the way of easy-access-breast-whipping out tops
18. Sleeping on your stomach is as lovely as you remember
19. You find yourself squeezing your boobs in public without a second thought to check which one is fullest
20. Watching your son and your husband smile at each other gives you utter blissful feelings
21. You still can't believe this small person is yours and wonder when the grown ups are going to show up
22. Hours fly by like minutes when you are having quiet time staring at the little one
23. You do indeed check to make sure he is breathing if things have been too blissfully quiet for too long
24. You envy the baby's adorable snugly outfits and wish you could pull them off
25. When you get even a moment, you realise how happy you are
    

Finally. Deliriously. Happily. Here.

The wait is over.
The boy has arrived.

He waited and waited.
And we waited and waited.
It was hard.
16 days.
An unsuccessful induction.
Raging hormones.
Fear and stress.
A scary 5 day hospital stay.
And finally we went to go get 'em.
A very successful C- section.

And now he is here and the memory of how he got here is fading as is the first scary sleepless nights.
He is one week new.
And all I see is soft milky boy
Sweet and light and love

Lewis, we are glad to have you
Welcome to us
Welcome to the world
We are all the better with you here

returning

Yes. I have not been blogging.

Thank you for noticing! And not for lack of happenings...

1. Went to Canada to help train new hosts for Life Club Shalom Village!
2. Played in Elora with Chris & Dave & Gary
3. Saw my parents and Aunt Dot in WI
4. Been rocking my Glasgow Life Club
5. Coaching my regular peeps

But mostly, what has been taking up most of my time, psychic energy and all my physical and mental and emotional real estate has been ...

1. Sleeping
2. Feeling like I was run over by a truck
3. Napping
4. Padding around in soft clothes eating cereal
   
5. Being on the edge of barfing

Because, yes, many of you know and if you don't you may have surmised, I am pregnant!

I found out on my actual birthday and my first trimester was consumed with my very own self. I know I could have been blogging about all the other nice things happening, but since I knew I couldn't go public, I created a self imposed gag order.

Cat outta the bag. I am almost 14 weeks along the way, feeling more like myself and starting to have the news really take purchase in my brain. It is time to get excited! Which we are. In batches between slight freak out and wonderment.

Taking it all in stages and not at the point where I can watch any Discovery Channel "Extreme Labor" or "Baby Stories" yet because the end game still makes me woozy. For now I am happy to stay awake all day, have an appetite, go out into the world and be active, and watch my belly grow.

I promise not to make this blog all about pregnancy nay about parenthood.

I hope it, as I, remain still my own person with a brain and interests and things to say.

Now just Plus One. Perhaps with more insight.

big trip

Hooo haaa. 

I am soon to be on my next adventure and am beside myself.  Fretting about packing. Pacing, racing around buying things. (they Do have stores in the US, many of them, I realise) 

I keep online shopping and having sporty and cute new things sent to my sister's in the US to take advantage of the incredibly weak dollar. I think it is easier to focus on What I Will Wear than What I Will Be Doing.  Or, conversely, if I feel I have the right 'stuff' I won't be distracted. 

Who knows. I do know  I have so much to look forward to. And I do. 

New year. New decade. More me. More goodness. 

First my week of friendly DC faces and sushi, old haunts and then my Californication Big Leadership course. I just found out we 24 participants are from all over the globe and in true CTI/CoActive spirit -- the people sound well into it and  way cool. I am excited to meet the tribe who will share the next 9 months' journey with me. Yay for diversity. Yay for openness and a bit of healthy fear and nerves... of which I have a plenty.  (For the infamous 'ropes' course!)

I can't wait to see where the rubber hits the road for me. I've been talking a big game about what I want to do with coaching and I am curious to see just where I am full of shit.  And where I am able to step up and do what I profess. It is the ultimate Walk the Talk. I currently really have been enjoying the Talking the Walk. Time to get moving. 

Exciting time. Super fortunate to be able to have the emotional and financial support to do this. 

And thoughts on Four-Oh. I was just musing with Mary R about how turning 30 was Such A Big Deal. Huge. Parties and a giant leap into what was seen and felt as a movement into something totally new and foreign.  But 40 feels so much more mellow and, OK. It is more of a stride than a leap.  Gentle movement of time.  I feel it, but it isn't scary.   

Just making sure I have the right outfit is.

This just in

Welcome to Benjamin Max McDonald, first son born unto Tom and Miri on 20 May!

Le'chayim! - To life!