When I was younger a friend of mine introduced me to Poohisms. You know, life according to Winnie the Pooh. I didn’t buy it. Years later I found Dr. Seuss. Or more specifically… I found Motherhood.
In 2008 my then boyfriend (now husband, Chris),
I’ll call him Ninja, and I decided we were “ready” to try to get pregnant. I was 29 he was 33, we were done University and relatively stable in life. I thought it would take months as it did for my besty. On Valentine’s Day we started our not-NOT trying. On St. Patrick’s Day I came home from work sick, took a test and nearly fell over. I then took another test, and then another. I lined them all up on the bathtub and just stared. What was I thinking? I could barely look after myself let alone a child! When Ninja got home from work and I told him he was all like “TOUCHDOWN!”
Seriously?
My irrational fear of having a baby was not easily shaken, until my birthday in April when Ninja brought home a tiny little book that changed my life. Oh, Baby, the Places You’ll Go! Adapted from the work of Dr. Seuss.
“So now, as my voice
burple-urps in your ear –
with a bump-thumpy sound
that is not very clear –
the words I am saying
you hear in your heart,
and know that I wish you
the very best start.
It’s a scrumptulous world
and it’s ready to greet you.
And as for myself…
well…
I can’t wait to meet you!”
I read this book to my unborn baby (we named my belly Maynard) every day, I soon realized it was true. The choices I made would shape Maynard into the person she would become and I wanted to give her the BEST start I could.
I had already stopped drinking coffee and monitoring my food intake. I had started reading books and educating myself on vaccinations, but Dr. Seuss changed my THINKING.
When Maynard was born in December I finally knew what pure, true love was. We named her Rowyn Mae and she became the love of my life… my HoneyBear.
I would and still will do anything for my HoneyBear. I used hemp diapers and soapnuts to make sure her baby soft skin stayed baby soft. I stopped using all chemicals in my house. I stopped using chemical makeup, and bath products. I began making all my own sauces, breads, and snacks to keep my family healthy and to limit the preservatives brought into our home.
I also began missing my family.
My Mom, Dad and Sister had all flown out for the birth but had all gone home to their own provinces right before Christmas. I soon knew what I had to do. My Mom has MS and I needed her to be there to see HoneyBear grow up. I needed HoneyBear to know my Mom as I knew her, a vivacious woman. We made the move from Winnipeg, MB to Penticton, BC in August 2009.
Ninja and I got married in my dream vineyard wedding in August 2010.
Life seemed pretty good, then in 2012 we won 2nd place in the local radio station photo contest ” The Perfect Couple”. It was Valentine’s Day and we won a weekend away at a resort in Osoyoos… well you can guess what happened 🙂
And 8.5 months later I looked like this! Once again I read Dr Seuss to our unborn daughter, Baby Park. During this time I recommitted myself to being the best Mommy I can be.
In November 2012 Baby Park was born. We named her Sydney Blair and she joined her sister in my heart. My SydneyBean IS my heart.
My family finally feels complete.
So there you have it. What led me to this moment. I have always wanted to do this but didn’t know where to start, what to say or what to name it. Then I realized the person I am today is because my Love, Ninja, introduced me to the simple words of a children’s author which opened my heart to my HoneyBear and my SydneyBean. Our life is what I want to talk about. Even if I am the only one who reads about it 🙂
I will start here, today. Today is MY day… and I’m on my way!
