I can tell you from experience that there are many things NICU parents go through that will make you cry. September is NICU Awareness Month and in an effort to support other NICU families, I hoped to share my story with you and offer a NICU Care Package that I’ve personally curated with Huggies to help make a family’s time in the NICU a little bit easier. As a mom of … [Read more...]
Science North Camps for Kids – FUN & Educational
Disclaimer - This is a sponsored Science North Camps for Kids post, however, all thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and belong to the author. This post was typed by Tammy on behalf of Christine since Christine is still unable to have screen time due to her concussion. It's always fun to learn about new activities, places to visit, things to do, and … [Read more...]
Bring Home Happy with Trolls
It's been a crazy few weeks over here, and it's time to bring home happy! We would first like to disclose that this post has been written in Christine's words, but since she is still unable to have any screen time until she recovers from her concussion, a few of us have volunteered to type for her and read to her. She's been naughty and has tried to check a few emails, and … [Read more...]
World Prematurity Day: No Baby Unhugged
No Baby Unhugged. November 17th is World Prematurity Day, a day intended to raise awareness of the high rates of premature births worldwide. When babies arrive early they’re sensitive, vulnerable and in need of care around the clock. And while medicine and machines are an important part of their treatment, hospitals are now discovering human touch and hugs are also a … [Read more...]
Time Flies! Our Little Preemie is EIGHT Years Old!
I never fully understood what people meant when they told me "Enjoy them while they're young", "They're only little once", and "Time flies!" Then I had a child and all of a sudden, I knew what others meant, and boy, were they right. Time flies! It's hard to believe that this time eight years ago, I was on strict hospital bed rest at Mount Sinai Hospital. It all seems like … [Read more...]
Shocked At What I Have Been Doing To My Child
I am shocked at what I have been doing to my child. "Donne un beau bec!" "Give Grandma a hug!" "Give Uncle George a kiss goodbye!" I had no idea that by telling my child to do these things, I was doing her a tremendous disservice. I grew up in a culture where every adult relative or friend was considered family. Friends of the family were all "aunts" and … [Read more...]
First Day of School Tradition
Can you believe it's that time of the year again? Summer seems to have come and gone! I feel like I just picked up Little One from her bus stop on her last day of school, and all of a sudden, it's almost the first day of school again! The Summer was a whirlwind of events, beginning with four weeks straight of out of town visitors. I'm thrilled that Little One got to spend … [Read more...]
10 Years
On this day, ten years ago, I was preparing to get married to the kindest, sweetest, smartest man I had ever met. 10 years! I can hardly believe it's been that long already. Time has flown by. A lot has transpired in the span of ten years. It hasn't always been an easy journey. Not only has there been a lot of adjusting to married life, but I've had to adjust to life … [Read more...]
My Little Dreamer – Helping Kids Achieve Their Dreams #MyLittleDreamer
When I grow up, I want to be… When I was a child, I was a little dreamer. I always knew I wanted to become a teacher. My first experience with relationships outside the family was with my kindergarten teacher. She was a gentle, caring, nurturing teacher and, as a timid child, that made all the difference in my experience entering my school years. In grade five, I had … [Read more...]
Dealing with Grief: May is Always a Hard Month for Me
April showers bring May flowers. Mother's Day. One would think that May would be a happy time because the temperature is beginning to warm up, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and everything comes to life again in May. May used to be one of my favourite months. Now, May is a hard month for me though. It's a time when I find myself dealing with grief. I … [Read more...]
Broken-Hearted: Goodbye Chance
This is the day I have been dreading for a while. I remember when I first laid eyes on Chance, I knew he was a special puppy. Out of the entire litter, he was the only fluff ball, when all his litter mates were sleek black lab mixes. She had crinkly ears and was just so fuzzy. I fell in love with that puppy the minute I saw him. It may sound rather morbid, but that … [Read more...]
Getting My Child to Eat her Food: The Truth Is…I Have No Tricks!
Several friends have asked me countless times how I get Little One to eat her school lunches every day. The truth is, I have no tricks or tips. We've just been very lucky that Little One happens to have an adventurous palate and a voracious appetite. Seriously. That is all. I was thinking about how all kids are different and have different tastes. What works for one … [Read more...]
The Day Mommy had a Meltdown
Growing up, I don't recall ever seeing my mother cry. I don't recall ever seeing a day that my mom had a meltdown. Sure, my mom would yell at us when we misbehaved or didn't listen, but I never saw her cry. I thought that surely she was the strongest person on the planet. Then I realized when I grew up that no one ever knew if Mom had a meltdown or how often she would … [Read more...]
Sweet Gifts for Mom this Mother’s Day #LoveHallmarkCA #NoOrdinaryCard
When I was a new Mom, Mother's Day was a day I looked forward to. Finally, I'd be able to experience this rite of passage as my own Mom did. Growing up, I remember my brothers and I making Mom breakfast in bed, giving her handmade cards and crafts that we made in school. We also used our hard-earned allowance to buy her what we thought were treasures. To her they were … [Read more...]
Who Decides What to Watch on Netflix in your House? #StreamTeam
Who decides what to watch on Netflix in your house? When I was a kid, my brothers and I used to fight over what to watch on TV. My brothers wanted to watch Transformers or WWF and I wanted to watch Full House, Who's the Boss? or Growing Pains. There were times, however, that we would all agree on shows to watch. We would watch ALF together and a few other shows. Those … [Read more...]