Personality

Katherine, you are definitely developing your own personality. And we can already tell that part of your personality is a strong will. I get to watch you test your boundaries (and yes, sometimes that can be a bit frustrating for both of us); but it’s a necessary part of growing as a person and I know there will be a lot more of it in the coming months and years.

In the past few days this has played out with choices you make around food. Up to now it’s been easy – we put food in front of you or in your mouth and apart from a few things you don’t like, you ate most of it. But since a few days you are making very clear choices – if we put something in front of you that you don’t feel like eating, you push the fork away before it reaches you (and yep, I said fork – you don’t like to be fed with a spoon unless it’s food an adult would eat with a spoon too).

Months ago I read that it’s the parents responsibility to put healthy food in front of a child, but it’s the child’s responsibility to choose what and how much of that they eat. Will I force you to eat your broccoli? No. But I am learning to offer you a few of different choices, lining them up in front of you and hand you what you point to. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to not be able to say what you want, so until you do, keep pointing at the food you like to eat and I’ll do my best to “listen”.

You are teaching me that every person, no matter how tall or small, how young or old deserves to be respected. Seeing how you make more of your own choices, I know that as much as I love you and like to cuddle you all the time, it is important for you to grow more independent every day.

PS: sliced veggies are hiding well between your noodles… but that’s my little secret for now.

A Moment in the Sun

Katherine, this morning was a crisp, sunny Okanagan day. Life is busy as always, but this morning I made a choice that it wasn’t too busy to go for a walk. Something I wanted to do for days with you, but we hadn’t gotten around to it for a little while.

Going for a walk is not quite as simple as just sitting you in the stroller as we did in the summer – it’s the season to bundle up before we can get going. Easy for me… thick shoes, warm jacket, gloves and hat… your turn!!! Jacket and thick blanket - no problem, but I had forgotten you don’t like to wear hats. I put them on and you take them off (and no, there is no limit how many times you will try). But today I learned a new trick: put thick gloves on you (which you can’t take off yet) and you can no longer pull your hat off. I have mastered the hat trick (at least for the moment until you will outsmart me soon again).

You are teaching me that some days are about putting fun before work, to take a break for just a moment. Just long enough to smell the crisp air, soak in the sunshine and have lots of giggles along the way. I enjoyed our walk, watching you look at the world around you, following a bird in the air and looking up at me with a red nose and a great smile. Thank you for the moments of sunshine you are giving me.

Reaching High

Katherine, the day has finally come… another milestone event. This one wasn’t a big one for you, but I have waiting for this day for weeks, watching carefully, deciding when then right time would be.

Yup, the day has come to lower your crib. I remember when I first laid you in your crib – you were so tiny that I wouldn’t leave you in there because you looked so lost. You have been sleeping in your own room, in your crib for many months now and are clearly enjoying it.

Over the past few weeks I have watched you get more and more mobile (and taller almost by the day), so to make sure that you are safe, daddy has now lowered your mattress.

Is it a big deal? Well, maybe not really (ok, it was for me…), but it sure was an “awww” moment when we stood you in the updated crib.

You are teaching me that you never stand still, that life never stands still. You are reaching high and while I am here to catch you when you fall, I know that you’ll have to experience a few falls and bumps along the way. No matter how much experience our parents wanted to share with us, no matter how much experience I want to share with you, life is all about creating our own experiences – and I am here to cheer you on when you succeed and help you get up when you fall. Always and forever.

On The Move

Katherine, it's your 10 month birthday today. Every time I meet someone who hasn't seen you in a little while, the first comment they make is how much you have grown. And that's certainly true - you outgrow your clothing at a fast pace. As I see you every day, I don't notice as much; your growth, both physical and as a person, is happening in a fluent motion. But you are changing every day, bit by bit you are becoming more independent, more aware of details in your world (and yes, more opinionated).

Over the past few weeks, you have made it clear that pureed food is ok for an occasional meal, but really you are choosing to chew your food these days. That front top tooth that's cutting through right now will be helpful with that. I know it hurts right now, but just keep imagining all the food you'll be able to bite in a few days. Veggies, meat, noodles, fruit and bread are all welcome by you (and yes, you have had a little taste of ice cream, and you loved it).

You are on the move, still rolling for the moment, but you have made up your mind that it's time to explore your options, and your goal is clear: you want to walk. It's so cool when you sit on the floor and make gestures for me to hold out my hands to you can pull yourself up. At first it was just for short moments, but now you are quite stable and are holding on tight to my hands while taking little steps. I know this is your next step to independence, and I cherish every moment you still hold on tight to me.

Tonight you have fallen asleep in my arms for a nap and I am hugging you tight as I am writing this. You have your arms wrapped around me, and this moment in life is nothing short of perfect.

You are teaching me that we always grow and change (even when we are all grown up). I love seeing every new step you take, watching you with every new food your try. That's how we all learn, trying something new and while being unsure of how to do it at first, we get better and better the more effort we put into it. The key is to keep getting up again, no matter how many times we fall down. I am so proud of you as you try and try again. I want you to know that I love you always and forever.

Roll n’ Roll

Katherine, you are becoming increasingly mobile… no, you are not crawling; you seem to be holding out for walking. You love to stand and you have gotten pretty good at it with some support either of my hands or of a sturdy object such as a chair to lean on. But you have also noticed that standing, while fun, does not provide you any mobility.

The solution? You are rolling everywhere! You started out by just rolling one direction, but as you have been doing more of it, you have become multi-directional. And you newest technique: you aim and roll. No, I am not kidding – you look around the room to find a target that you want to roll to, then you rotate around until you are perfectly lined up, and then… you speed roll towards you goal; fast and accurate.

Your favourite targets include cabinets (the contents of which you meticulously remove one by one), book shelves (the contents of which you also like to remove) and hi-fi equipment (so many buttons to press, and a wonderful way of getting daddy’s attention quickly).

You are teaching me that just because we can’t do something one way, there is always a different way. “Should be…” isn’t important, but “I can” means everything. When something doesn’t work, giving up isn’t an option, but trying as many times as it takes to make it work is the path forward. You remind me that getting frustrated along the way may happen, but to never lose sight of the giggles and laughs waiting at the end to celebrate the accomplishments. Oh, and you are teaching me to roll around the floor with you – thank you for reminding me to have fun in everything I do.

Giving Thanks

Katherine, this was your first Thanksgiving. We celebrated this long weekend laid back, spending time with each other. This is the most precious time to me these days... time spent as a family, playing, going for walks and just having fun together.

I have to admit, I didn't make a turkey, the traditional meal for this holiday, but I cheated a bit and made duck with red cabbage and dumplings instead (by the way, thank you for "helping" in the kitchen). That your daddy likes this meal is something I knew... but what surprised me is how much you liked it! You are becoming more adventurous when it comes to trying different foods, so I thought I'll let you try a bit - and you ate such a "big" portion! Now having 2 teeth on the bottom, combined with your really strong gums, you are quite capable of eating anything you like.

This holiday is about giving thanks and it makes me think about how grateful I am that you are in my life. Just over 9 months ago I hadn't even met you yet and now I cannot imagine my life without you.


You are teaching me to live life appreciating every moment. I do not take you for granted and I am grateful for every moment I have with you. My life is richer because you are in it and I love every minute of it.

Change, Travel and lots of Food

Katherine, you have experienced your first plane ride (and yes, your second one too). I am so proud of you - we just got back from our trip to Las Vegas and you are a wonderful travel companion. We were traveling for a week - your dad, your grandma, you and me... what an experience. I have to admit, I was a bit worried about how you would enjoy the plane ride (after all, we have all been on flights where there has been a small child which was crying for much of the trip regardless of how hard the parents tried to calm them). I kept telling myself ahead of the trip, that no matter what happens it will be ok and that if you chose to cry for the duration of the flight, it would be simply our turn to get the looks and “polite” comments - and so we went to the aiport on the travel day, armed with lots of toys and extra food (somewhere I had read that it may help offering you a bottle during take-off). I began panicking a bit when there was no pre-boarding time allowed on this flight (oh, how should we do this with a baby and a senior??), but once at our seats, the flight attendants were amazing and giving us a few extra tips how to hold you during take off etc. Just before we were ready to take off, I looked at you and you were having a great time, looking out the little windows, fascinated with all that was going on outside the plane. I hugged you tight and felt your head heavy on my shoulders - you had closed your eyes and were sound asleep before we had even left the ground. The steady humming of the plane seemed to be very calming for you as you stayed asleep for most of the plane ride. The smile you had on your face when we got off the plane in Las Vegas reminded me that I should not worry so much about you; you love life and new experiences - they don't scare you, they make you smile.

During our stay in Las Vegas you had plenty of opportunties to experience things you have never seen before - the city is filled with lights, sounds and it’s full of life. We were ready to experience this trip "baby-friendly", keeping reasonable bed-times in mind for you, having brought kitchen tools with us to puree food for you, all so you would feel comfortable with your surroundings. Again, you reminded me that I should not worry so much about you - you were there to enjoy the vacation as well, turning into a bit of a night owl as we were staying out later in the evening, taking naps in your comfortable stroller as you felt like it. I was surprised how you slept so well in the middle of the noise and bright lights, but when you make up your mind to do something, not much holds you back. You enjoyed our trips to the white tigers, dolphins and on another day to the shark reef. You embraced the heat during the days, even when we took you on a short hike (ok, you had the luxury to be carried) in the Valley of Fire in the middle of a sunny, scorching day.

But most of all you surprised me with how much you changed when it came to food. Forget pureed food, buffets are your new favorite!! I quickly realized that you wanted to eat when we were eating (and yes, we were eating a lot - the buffets in this city are simply amazing and we enjoyed the times sitting down, relaxing a bit in between all the sightseeing , having great conversations). You are big enough now to sit in high chairs at the table with us and not offering you food while we were eating was cleary agitating you. So I began walking up and down the buffet lines looking for suitable food items for you - and I found a wide variety of items that seemed not too spicy and "mashable". As I got back to the table after my first stroll, I saw the excitement in your eyes and a big smile on your face. Instead of mashing up everything in your bowl, we began feeding you little bits of rice, broccoli, meat and fruit and you embraced the "finger food" - your transition to regular, solid food was made. Simple; change; just like that. For the remainder of the trip you ate buffet style when you weren't enjoying a bottle (of formula, just to clarify) and it was a lot of fun to learn about your likes and dislikes of food items (I love that you love green veggies and fresh fruit for now... but I'm sure you'll venture into trying ice cream and cake on another trip when you're big enough to choose food yourself).

You are teaching me that embracing change is propelling us forward in life. As adults we are sometimes challenged by change - it takes us out of our comfort zone. But for you change is happening in leaps and bounds every moment of every day. There is no fear that life will be different by the end of the day - it just happens; and you adapt with a smile on your face and look at me as if inviting me to come along for the ride. It's not up to me to say when you begin eating more solid food, it's not up to any baby development book to tell you when your next milestone moment happens - you are confidently making your own choices. I am proud of you and grateful for the time we have together.

Personality, Preferences and Goats

Katherine, you have a new person to love in your life. Your grandmother is visiting for a month from Germany and you are getting to know her. She’s spending lots of time spoiling you, cuddling with you and teaching you German of course. We are enjoying the time we get to spend together and I love watching you two interact. She’s reading to you and you giggle at her and have taught her well that when you raise your arms she’ll pick you up. She is learning about your personality, your likes and dislikes and you are learning that she loves you very much.

Oh, and the moment has come, you have outgrown your carseat. About a week ago, when I was dressing you in the morning, I thought to myself that your clothing seemed rather short… and so I called Mark to measure how long you were (yes, you rarely lie still, so it takes two of us to do that) and sure enough, it was time to go car seat shopping.

On to the internet I went, researching how to go about finding the perfect car seat for you. After lots of tips on safety etc., I read the best line of advice: seat your baby in the seats in the store. That made a lot of sense to me as you are usually helping to pick out your books and toys, so why not your car seat. As Mark, you, Grandma and I went to a few different stores and sat you in seat after seat, it became quickly evident that you are more than qualified to choose your own seat and your selection system was very clearly communicated: wide smile for “yes” and screeching cry for “no”. But the coolest thing was that the “yes” selection was the same seat in two different stores – you clearly made your choice.

A couple of days ago we went to the IPE with Mark and grandma for a day of fun and to show you all the animals (and yes, you were sitting in your newly installed car seat on the drive). With lots of people and lots of animals, there was so much to see for you. But your favourite were the goats. At first I noticed that when we walked through the area where the different animals were shown – the goats really caught your attention. Later in the day I took you into the petting zoo area so you could see lots of animals close-up (yes, you even touched a Wallaby), and more than any other animal, the little baby goats running around put a big smile on your face.

You are teaching me to trust your choices and to respect your opinions. No matter how young or old we are, our opinions matter and what we have to say is important. Even though you don’t have what we define as “real words” to use yet, the “words” you are using are real to you and you use them to communicate, combined with your facial and body expressions, and your tone of voice. You are a perfect example that we need to listen to more than just the words that are spoken to really understand a person. You are teaching me to be a better listener.

Another Milestone Moment

Katherine, you are growing and changing every day. No really, we keep measuring your length and you keep growing and growing – it’s so much fun to watch! Well, until we’ll have to go car-seat shopping soon since as of tonight you are 70 centimetres long and with that you only are allowed to be in your infant car seat for another 2.4 centimetres (= about 1 inch). Very cool!

Less than a week ago you turned 7 months and one thing I am learning about you is that you like to time major milestones around your month marks. Two nights ago I was in your room with you in the evening, playing with you on the floor just before bedtime – we already had the lights dimmed and were winding down the day. You grabbed hold of my finger and pulled it into your mouth as a chew-toy – that’s when I felt it… your first tooth had cut through. Really? Wiggling my finger carefully I confirmed what I had felt – wooohoo! As I looked at you, laughing and oohing and ahhing, you picked up on my happiness and started giggling too. After our proud mommy-daughter moment, I jumped up from the floor, zipped out of the room and got your daddy’s attention. Not knowing what was going on, he very quickly appeared in front of me and I pulled him into your room; on went the bright lights and we were proudly staring at your mouth; celebrating your milestone moment as a family.

You are teaching me that nothing ever stays the same – at 7 months old the time of your adorable toothless smile is coming to an end. But what’s coming in its place is going to be so much better (just imagine you’ll be able to chew food… well ok, I’m getting ahead of myself here… not with one tooth, but down the road). I am learning from you that change is the greatest thing in the world as it brings with it adventure, opportunities and new focus.

You Can Do Anything

Katherine, the last couple of weeks just zoomed by. So much to write about and after a beautiful Okanagan weekend it’s evening and while daddy is playing with you, I have time to write.

You are able to sit up now – you started sitting on your own just a couple days after you turned six months. Wobbly at first (and falling over more times than I can count), you were determined. Every day, you became a bit more stable. At first, playing while sitting was too much, sitting and balancing took all your concentration. Now, you are sitting confidently and playing with your toys (or crumpling up paper if it’s within your reach). This is a big milestone and we are so proud of you!

We went on our first vacation – daddy, you and I drove to Vancouver for some wonderful days of sightseeing, visiting with family and just hanging out and having fun. We experienced lots of “firsts” on this trip… your first time at a hotel, sleeping away from home, your first time in a swimming pool and of course your first time on the public transport system, skytrain and bus. Now, that was an interesting experience, and a first for your daddy and me. The really cool part about it wasn’t so much the logistics of getting on and off with a stroller (we had a couple of things to learn about that), but it was how you chose to behave. Being in a big city, people are typically not as open to connect - when we go for our evening strolls in the residential areas in Kelowna, people greet us as we walk by them; but in downtown in Vancouver on public transit, people tend to be minding their own business…. or do they? You were determined to connect with people in the city and on the skytrain and before long you had perfect strangers giggling at you, very serious looking businessmen making funny faces at you in an attempt to make you laugh and many more individuals quietly smiling as you chose to connect with them for a brief moment. It really made me think; sharing a moment of eye contact or a quiet smile with a stranger is all we need to make a connection that brightens our day. You did this instinctively – and because nobody ever taught you that you can’t.

You are teaching me that we don’t know all we can do unless we try. Often we don’t try because there is a chance that we could fail. That fear of failure can hold us back from learning new skills, making new friends and being all we can be. No matter how many times you fell over when you were learning to sit, no matter how many times that made you cry, and no matter how frustrated you were in the moment, giving up clearly never crossed your mind. My wish for you (and everyone) is that we never give up on anything that’s important to us in life and remember we can do anything, if only we try.

Laughs, Picnics and Love

Katherine, you are 6 months today. What a journey it has been so far – and much more to come… I can’t wait! Life is full of laughs, surprising moments and so much love; every day brings something new.

A couple of days ago your daddy, you and I walked to the beach at the Okanagan Lake in the evening (ok, ok, daddy and I walked and you were comfortably pushed in your stroller). I had packed us a picnic for dinner and we sat down by the lake enjoying a casual meal and great family time. After dinner I took you down to the water and you watched the waves coming in; I could tell you were both fascinated and calmed by the gentle waves breaking at the shore. I carefully stood you on your feet and held you as your toes touched the sand and the little waves washed over your feet, the sun started setting behind the mountains. Giggling and laughing we stood in the water – it was one of those “perfect moments”.

Tonight I had a hard time letting you go to sleep – during our playtime just before bed I couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing the last 6 months have been and how our lives have changed so much. More hectic? Sure. More challenging to balance my days? Sure. But above all, so much more perfect!

Throughout the evening tonight we’ve had some funny laughing “conversations”. As soon as I laughed, you responded with this giggling belly laugh until you stopped and looked at me, waiting for me to laugh again, then it was your turn again and so on. This went on until we both stopped, looked at each other with serious expressions and burst back into more laughter and giggling.

You are teaching me that when life gets challenging – and it does – taking time to laugh, taking time to go for a walk on the beach is making the day much happier and much less stressful. When things go wrong for you – and they do, you will react (and yes, in your case that usually means crying at the highest voice volume possible). But then it’s time to move on, get a hug, and look forward again with a new smile and fresh energy. Thank you for reminding me of that every day. I love you always and forever.

Quality Time

Katherine, today was a "spend-time-together-but-not-as-much-as-usual" kind of day.

During the day you were with me at my office, but having a meeting that I could not take you in with me, you hung out with a team member and friend at the office during that time. When I came out of my meeting you were peacefully asleep cuddled up in her arms.... This evening I went out for an event, so it was daddy and baby time and you were already asleep when I got home.

On a day like today I am grateful that you have lots of caring people in your life. I enjoy our times where we hang out together, and the bedtime routine where I read to you and we cuddle up together, but even more than that I feel content knowing that you are happy too cuddling up with a friend for your nap or that you enjoy daddy's nighttime routine... and seeing you sound asleep when I came home was definite proof of that.

You are teaching me that time spent with the people we love is not about the quanity, but the quality. Having a phone call from a friend far away, or coffee with a busy friend in the same town - friendship is not dependent on how often we connect but how much we care when we do. And as for us, we still had lots of great moments to connect; time to cuddle, play and explore the world together... and of course the moment when I heard you cry a little in your sleep after I got home tonight and I raced to your room to give you a hug and a soft kiss good night.

A New Experience

Katherine, today you tried “solid” food for the first time. For the past weeks and days you have been more and more curious about the food Mark and I eat (and no, you really can’t have those Starbucks Frappuchinos you have been reaching for). I have been researching which food to start you out with – and the opinions widely vary depending if I research on Canadian or German websites. We even bought a jar of vegetable puree yesterday and some rice to make rice cereal out of… just so we have it when we decided the time is right (after all, you are only just over 5 months old and most research says to wait until 6 months).

But as you are your own person, it’s not up to me - you let me know that you were ready. As I was getting ready to make lunch for daddy and me today, you were in the kitchen with me, watching my every move and wildly waving your arms… aha, there was my clue! So I found the tiniest pot I have in my kitchen, cut up a fresh carrot and cooked and pureed it for you.

There we were, ready with photo and video camera, a tiny spoon and a generous sized bib as you had your first taste of carrot puree. I am not sure what was the bigger experience for you – the taste of the carrot or the fact that there was a spoon instead of a bottle in your mouth… but it was great fun to watch you experience this different sensation and taste.

You are teaching me that new experiences are fun – when we are ready for them. Trying something for the first time is magical… at any age. Be it food, or doing something we have never done before allows us to learn, grow and broaden our horizon. But trying new things can also send us outside our comfort zone and therefore sometimes we hold back instead of leaping forward into new experiences. For today, I am grateful I got to share your first food experience with you and I love that you have many more “first” adventures ahead of you.

Choices and Decisions

Katherine, I just spent a high energy hour playing with you... and we had lots of fun together! When I saw you started to get tired, rubbing your little eys with your tiny hands, I sat down with you in our big chair in your room, gave you your "good-night" bottle and you fell asleep cuddled up in my arms. This is part of our routine and I miss this special time only on occasion when I have a commitment in the evening.

As you were falling asleep in my arms tonight, I was thinking what I'm not doing because I'm spending time with you, right here, right now. I had an invitation to fly to Toronto at the end of this weekend for a business event. Having a conversation with a friend a few days ago, he said to me "it's too bad you can't make it" and while I knew he understood, after the phone call I found myself wondering, could I have gone, should I have gone? I'm sure I would have had a great time, been spoiled with luxurious food and accommodation, and have had many meaningful conversations. But I would have missed spending time with you. And I know, realistically, I will travel for business sometimes as you are growing up, and sometimes this will mean that we'll be spending some time apart... I'm just not ready for that, not just yet.

You are teaching me that "giving up" an opportunity doesn't really feel like giving up anything when it's for the right reason, and for this weekend, I know it's a choice worth making. As I am typing this blog entry, quietly sitting in your room where you are sleeping deeply now, I can't help but think about how the choices we make every day shape the life we live. We just cannot get caught up in wondering what different outcomes different choices would bring, but we must be confident in our ability to make the right decisions. Just as I am sure I want to be here Sunday evening to kiss you good night and cuddle you to sleep.

Special Moments

Katherine, we're having so much fun together! And you just keep learning, growing and developing at warp speed. Yesterday morning you were in your room on a blanket and I decided it would be nice to roll you from your back onto your front for some tummy time. Just before I did that, I zipped downstairs to grab the video camera (telling myself I take some many pictures of you, I should really take some video too)... So I'm all set with the camera, roll you on your tummy and begin recording, quite honestly concentrating more on making sure you're well in the picuture than on you. In that moment you look up, and roll on your back completely by yourelf for the first time! I wasn't sure what surprised me more... that you rolled over or that I caught it on video.

Later in the afternoon Mark took me out to a coffee place... and one thing you have taught us about going out is to go to a busy place so you can "people watch". So we went to the coffee place that's inside the big bookstore in the mall - always busy and so much to see, hear and smell there for you. After a while you got a bit unsettled, so you and I took a stoll through the bookstore, inevitably ending up in the children's book section. And there I learned that you are quite capable of making decisions of what you do and don't like (I just need to be present in the moment to listen). Just for fun I showed you a book about colours which completely caught your attention. After we put it back and kept strolling, I showed you a few other books (including another colour book I thought was way cuter than the first one), but none of them really seemed to interest you too much. Later on I decided to show you the book again, and again you were captivated by it... so buying you a copy was an easy choice and you are "reading" it with great interest.

You are teaching me that you are your own person, ever so small still, but nevertheless a person with opinions, feelings and the power to make her own choices. Be it choosing when it's the right time to roll over for the first time (thank you for having such perfect timing!!), or be it choosing what books you like. It's my job to protect you, to nurture and love you, but it's also my job to give you the freedom to be yourself so that you can grow up to become a person who makes her choices with confidence and knows that her opinion matters.

Mother's Day

Katherine, yesterday was Mother's Day; my first Mother's day. Thank you for making it a very special day!

Right from the first moment in the morning I felt proud to be a mom - your mom. You did wake up very early, feeling a bit uncomfortable and the food from your bottle did not stay down. Your dad was already by your side and I did jump out of bed too; there we were changing sheets and cleaning your face when you looked at Dad and me, and all of a sudden the happiest smile appeared on your face. Feeling much better again, you were giggling and reaching out to touch us. You dad was laughing and said to me "Happy Mother's Day" and sitting there amongst wet cloths I felt so proud, so privileged to be Mom - I'm not joking... it was such a perfect family moment - filled with love and genuine care for each other.

We spent the whole day together as a family, including a fabulous lunch out and an even more fabulous walk to the beach... I still had a smile on my face when I fell into bed exhausted at the end of the day.

You are teaching me that the perfect day is the one we choose to make perfect. When we went out for lunch you were unsettled, so we took a walk around the parking lot and strolled into some stores, until you were calmer - lunch is fabulous at 2 pm when it's Sunday and there is no schedule. Things may not always go exactly to plan but we're able to do anything when we do it together - and that makes for a perfect day!

Smiles, Laughs and Giggles

Katherine, when you smile, the world (and the people) around you light up. You have a very special gift to brighten people’s days in an instant with your gorgeous smile that stretches across your face and makes your beautiful blue eyes sparkle.

I have to admit, I’ll do anything to make you laugh… I’ll hug you, make funny noises and faces or give you a big kiss. Often you reward me by grinning widely from ear to ear (and if you throw in a giggle too… well, I can’t help myself but giggle with you). But some moments, I don’t need to do anything – you just look in my eyes and smile; those are moments full of love and connection and I they are etched into my heart forever.

You are teaching me that laughing more, sometimes over silly things, gets me to take myself – and the people around me – not so seriously. Life feels much lighter when I laugh and smile more; I feel happier, am less stressed and seem to cope much easier with the little curve balls life throws me. And you are teaching me that giving away a heartfelt smile to a partner, a friend or even a complete stranger, costs nothing more than a moment and often means everything.

A Walk on the Bright Side of Life

Katherine, today we went for a beautiful walk in the sunshine… your dad, you and me. As the weather is getting warmer, the walks we take become a lot more fun (even though you have been a good sport over the last few months when I took you out to experience quite cold Canadian winter days).

Talking a stroll down to the beach as a family was so much fun – you are exploring the world from the view of your stroller. Looking from daddy to me and back as we are walking you giggle and “talk” and once in a while you go silent, just taking it all in – the sights, the noises, the smells.

Spending time together as a family - life really doesn’t get much better than that.

You are teaching me that having a great time doesn’t need to be complicated. Watching you be joyful, watching your daddy pushing your stroller in circles to make you giggle, getting a big smile from you as we arrive at the beach – spending time together with the ones we love is a life well lived.

Learning New Things

Katherine, oh, you are 3 months old today! As you are learning rapidly about your new world, I can’t get over how much you have taught me in the last weeks and months…

And I don’t just mean those wonderful life lessons which make me smile every day, but I have been able to add some very practical skills to my repertoire of things in life that I can do now. I always thought of myself as a pretty efficient multi-tasker, but I have reached new heights by doing what I am doing with you cuddled up to me (yes, even writing this blog as you are sleeping in my arms right now). One of the skills that stand out to me… diaper changing. I have definitely become a pro at diaper changing – a skill I did not have at all 3 months ago (and I mean I was completely clueless in the beginning, but lots and lots practice over the past months has greatly enhanced my abilities…and you are very committed to this and give Mark and me many opportunities for training, both day and night).

You are teaching me that learning new skills is something I want to do continuously and always (… and yes, that even includes learning how to change a diaper). I know that it will be a long journey of learning as I help you grow up, and I’m sure I will make mistakes along the way…
but be patient with me and let’s giggle together about all the things that don’t go perfectly on the first try.

PS: I love you... always and forever. I know I tell you every day, but today I wanted to make sure I don't just say it, but also write it down for you.

Love of Books

Katherine, you are becoming so much more aware and are just a joy to be around. I love teaching you new things and you are eager to learn. I love reading books to you and even though you can’t even hold the books, let alone read them of course, you keep being captivated by the stories I read to you. We have accumulated quite a nice little library of baby story books. You are fascinated by the sound of the words and I can’t get enough of reading book after book to you again and again. The rhymes make you giggle, the story holds your interest, and best of all we get to spend time together. You now even have your own soft, crinkling book, colourful and complete with a rubbery area you can chew on (ah, who says books are just for reading?).

When I read to you before bedtime, you often fall asleep in my arms. And instead of just putting you to bed right away, I continue our cuddle time and I quietly put your story book aside - and pick up a “grown-up” book; often they are business books or non-fiction books as I love reading of other people who dare to dream big (and follow through with their ideas, letting nothing stop them) … I have bought many books, eager to read them and ready to learn from them, but over the last year or so I found myself always was too busy to actually get started. Yes, I know that sounds ironic – life before you wasn’t nearly as busy as it is now, yet now I find much more time to read than I did before you were born. Let me rephrase that… now I make a choice that I want to read and I therefore I make the time to do so.

You are teaching me that reading is an important part of my life. I used to love to read book after book (and I remember when I was a kid, I often would read long past my bedtime because I got so captivated by the stories), but then someday, quietly, life being life happened and got in the way, and I drifted away from spending hours at a time devouring books. By reading to you, you have rekindled my love for reading and I hope I get to pass this passion on to you and we get to share many moments reading together.

Memories

Katherine, that last few weeks just flew by in a busy mesh of businesses being busy and mom-time being a very special time in every day. I am glad we get to spend our days together no matter how busy life gets.

Today is a special day that I wanted to share with you – it’s the anniversary of your grandfather, my dad, passing away 6 years ago. I am sad that you’ll never have a chance to meet him and you’ll never have a chance to hear his stories … but one day as you grow up I will tell you about him. I know he would have been proud to be a grandfather and he would have been so proud to hold you in his arms – and I trust that he is watching over us.

When I watch you as you spend time with your dad (and I can’t get enough of just watching you two), I am grateful that Mark is so wonderful with you, that he is all you can wish for in a dad. The bond between a daughter and her father is very special… and you two are just so precious to watch together. Your dad in his very analytical way will ask you to “use your words” when you are crying in one moment and will make funny faces at you in the next moment, embracing his playful side that you have brought out in him… and you will reward him with the biggest smile you seem to reserve just for dad!

You are teaching me that the memories we create today will be with us forever. Today makes me conscious about making every moment count as for some day there will be no more moments we get to share together. I love every moment we have together, rain or shine (cries or laughs), cuddle-time, play-time or work-time, it’s all OUR time.

Happy Sneezing

Katherine, you are 2 months old today. Wow, time flies! This past week you have “accomplished” a major milestone – your first cold. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing and wheezing has been on the agenda over the past days and I am watching you cope with ease. Nothing keeps you from exploring the world around you. So what if you are not comfortable laying down (and have no words yet to communicate that)… you just frown and cry until I help you sit up comfortably – where you look at me with big eyes to let me know you are happy again. So what if you don’t have a big appetite… you just don’t finish your bottle, but “ask” for another one more often. So what if you sneeze on me… how can I be upset when you smile at me right afterwards - we share everything, right?

You are teaching me that no matter what life’s challenges are in any given day, happiness is not dependent on our circumstances. Happiness is dependent on our choices and actions. If something doesn’t work, find a different way. And on another note, you are teaching me that a hug and a snuggle can indeed make things better – always.

Serious Silliness

Katherine, last night was your baby shower, organized by very special people in our lives. It was a beautiful evening of friends meeting you for the first time, enjoying delicious party food and a gorgeous pink decorated room. We were given many wishes and blessings for our relationship and our future, enjoyed great conversation and yes, it was also an evening of funny, playful silliness.

Never having been to a baby shower before, I wasn’t sure what to expect and I found myself enjoying every minute of the evening. However, unwrapping the beautiful gifts the guests had so generously brought for you later in the evening, I had no idea that the bows and ribbons would be transformed by crafty (at this point from ear to ear grinning) friends into a hat that I got to proudly wear… and of course the moment was captured on a photo.

You are teaching me not to take myself and life so seriously all the time, that wearing a silly hat at your party is fun and giving me a chance to laugh at myself (I can’t wait until you are old enough to wear silly hats with me). But on a serious note, you are teaching me family is where your heart is. I found myself looking around the circle of friends last night and realized how lucky you and I are to have such an amazing community around us. With your grandmother and other relatives living far away, we get to connect here with a family of friends who I know will have a great influence in your life. And it’s important you’ll remember this as you’ll grow up and will undoubtedly spread your wings and travel one day… good friends will help you grow roots wherever you are in the world and will be there for you when family is far away.

Just Being Mom

Katherine, it’s been a long and busy week and many days I didn’t know how to get it all done. But the week came to an end eventually and it’s been a great weekend – yesterday you got to meet your relatives from Vancouver who drove all the way up to Kelowna just to say hello and hold you. It was great for you to meet your family (yes, you probably won’t remember, but don’t worry, we took pictures).

And today – well today was great. No, great isn’t the best word – greater than great…extraordinary. Today was a real day off; no work, no errands, no responsibilities. I got to be “just mom”. We got to spend the whole day together just hanging out and having fun together – we played together for hours and as this winter day was so beautiful and sunny, we even went for a walk in the afternoon. Well, to be truthful here – I did all the walking, while you were snuggled up in your stroller and enjoyed the ride… it was perfect. We even had time to do your first art project – hand and footprints in clay… so that we can look back one day and marvel at how tiny you were.

You are teaching me that days like today are important – making memories, recharging my batteries, laughing and having fun. Spending time with you isn’t just about living my life, it’s about feeling alive.

Having it All

Katherine, today was a special day for me. I co-facilitated a workshop; the first since you were born. Being back to doing what I love felt amazing, sharing my day in front of the room with another great facilitator and friend, and engaging with a wonderful group of workshop participants.

Katherine and Babysitter Brenda

But what made the day really special was that you were in the room with us. I know it’s highly unusual for a 5-week old baby girl to “attend” a workshop, but you did it anyways. This worked thanks to an amazing friend who had offered to babysit you in the back of the room with the intention of leaving during the day as needed if you would cry or do anything that may disturb the participants. As the day went on, I was amazed to see that she only had to leave with you occasionally for little breaks. Other than that you stayed in the room, sleeping cuddled up in her arms or on a soft blanket (… and of course I was pretending that you were listening to every word we were saying).

You are teaching me what it means to “have it all”. Being a facilitator and a mom, following my passion while seeing you all day truly was a gift. I am also learning that to have it all, I can’t do it alone. I couldn’t have facilitated a full day workshop by myself as my body is still healing, I couldn’t have had you in the back of the room without knowing that you are well taken care of - but I wasn’t doing it alone. And so I get to have it all and I want you to grow up never forgetting that you can “have it all” too.

A Different Perspective

Katherine, you are already a month old now. I love seeing how much you are changing and developing your personality – and how much more interactive you have become.

Playtime is becoming more exciting; you love laying on your play-mat and exploring the toys that are hanging above, the wall and all objects around you. For the last few evenings I have laid down beside you (ok, the play mat isn’t big enough for both of us so I had to settle for the carpet); I have enjoyed our face to face time and the giggling noises you are starting to make.

Having so much fun with you, laying on the floor on my back and exploring the world from your perspective, I have also noticed how different everything looks and how it cleared my mind.

You are teaching me that it’s important to look at things from a different perspective; that solutions to problems become much clearer when we make a choice to approach them with a fresh view, ultimately creating more amazing results than would have ever been possible before.

Authentic Connection

Katherine, last night I went out to my first networking event since you were born. This is something I have done quite regularly before you came into my life, but I haven’t been out to many events in the last few months of my pregnancy… so it has been a while. And of course you had the best baby sitter in for the evening – your dad!

Before I left, I took you upstairs to your room to change your diaper and after the “work part” of this task was done we spend a few minutes hanging out together. You were lying on the change table looking at me, throwing your arms up in the air, having a great time and I was talking to you, laughing, making faces and throwing my arms into the air too. You don’t have words to use yet, but that didn’t matter – we were communicating through fun movements and facial expressions. We were connecting authentically and were present with each other in the moment – it was perfect!

The theme of the networking event was tips on successful business networking and there were 3 experts speaking on the topic – and what they emphasized all evening was to focus on building relationship with the people we network with, rather than focusing on selling them something. Get to know the person and to be really present in conversations – connect with them authentically.

You are teaching me to be fully present when I connect with people. The conversation, the eye contact, the connection is all that matters in that moment. They are worth it and my time and undivided attention is the most valuable gift I can give them.

Life is Precious

Katherine, since you were born three weeks ago, life has been hectic. The plan was so great – your due date was December 31st, right during of our companies’ Christmas breaks. But I am learning that you operate on your own schedule and true enough… you had other plans and didn’t make your entrance into the world until January 7th, by which time I was back to work already again for almost a week. It couldn’t have been more perfect though… an ultra-sound appointment in the morning, followed by a meeting with a client and a doctor’s appointment right after that, at which point the doctor sent my husband and me straight to the hospital as I was in labour (how was I supposed to know how this feels??) and you made your appearance into the world less than 7 hours later at 6:40 pm.

When I met you for the first time, my life changed forever. They say all good things take time and this was certainly true for our first encounter as you needed some medical attention before we got to meet. But was it worth the wait… we looked into each other’s eyes and I instantly fell in love with you, wanted to wrap my arms around you and keep you safe – you are so precious.

Balancing being a mom and being an entrepreneur is my new life now – luckily I have the support of an amazing husband. You love spending time sleeping curled up in my arms while I am working on my laptop and while I am in meetings (and so what if I can sometimes only have one hand to type or have to rely on someone else’s meeting notes as I don’t have a free hand to take any). Mark and I take you everywhere we go… I don’t mind a busy life as long as I get to spend it with you.

You are teaching me that life is precious. I am choosing to let go of some things in my life that don’t bring me joy and replace it with activities that inspire me to be the best mom, wife, entrepreneur and person I can be. That’s why I started this blog… to share with you (and the world) the lessons you teach me every day to be all that and more.