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Three generations.

This picture was taken in September. At the time, my mom had been diagnosed with a life-threatening aortic aneurism. In November she went in for surgery. The risk the aneurism posed was minimized successfully, but during clamp time she suffered a spinal stroke. She came out of surgery having lost the ability to walk.

My mother was anything—a motorcyclist, ski racer, physical education teacher and dog agility handler—but inactive. So, you can imagine the devastation she faced when she could no longer depend on the two things she’s always depended on—her legs. Seven months later, with the assistance of leg braces and a walker, she is able to “walk” her dogs around the block.

On this day, and every day, my mom is truly an inspiration to me—if not a reminder to appreciate the things I have while I have ‘em. 

Are we having fun yet?

Every morning when I drop off Everleigh at daycare I give her a hug and a kiss and I tell her to “Have fun, Everleigh!” This morning as I was leaving, Everleigh gave me a sincere look and proclaimed, “Have fun, Mommy! Mommy, have fun!”

Thanks for the reminder, sweet girl. 

Happy Two!

Dear Everleigh,

Yesterday I took you to your two-year check up, which got me thinking about this past year.

But let’s start with now. On the charts, you sit right on the 50th percentile. You are 24 lbs and 86.5 cm tall. For the first time ever, you stood on the scale like a big girl while the nurse weighed and measured you. You were so proud (and I was swallowing back my emotions as I thought about the first time we put you on the baby scale two years ago. It seems like yesterday). When the doctor came, you showed her how you can put on your own shoes. Then you sat very still and let her listen to your heart, examine your ears and look into your gorgeous earth brown eyes. The doctor says you are the perfect little patient. 

Everleigh, this year has been so full of changes. I went back to work near the beginning of your second year and you started going to a home daycare. You handled the transition like a pro, and I’m certain it’s because you and Jessica (your caregiver) have developed such a strong bond. She loves you like a granddaughter, and you love her, too, which makes it so much easier for me to leave you with her each day (although I have to admit it is never easy leaving you, not even for a few hours). 

Last year you had a few teeth and you were bald; today, you can brush your own teeth (a mouthful of them) and you’re nearly ready for your first haircut. You had a couple of words at one, and now you bring a new word (or two or three) into your ever-expanding vocabulary every day. On your first birthday, you were still crawling; today, you are running, climbing and jumping. You are brave enough to take chances, yet smart enough to know when to hang back. You are empathetic, and you adore anything with four legs—especially the “baby tats” next door. And you are silly. Just like your Daddy. 

There are no words to describe how much I love you, Everleigh. And I’m so excited to see what changes next year will bring. 

Love,

Your Mommy XO

I’m an enabler

Here’s why:

Photo: Adidas Dragon CF (Infant/Toddler)

Everleigh’s love (read: obsession) with shoes began in infancy. While other fat-cheeked cherubs in our music class inched their way toward the jolly instructor and his big bag of instruments, Everleigh was commando crawling toward the bright pile of shoes underneath the exit sign with surprising determination.

Indeed, whether she was wearing them or noshing away on them, shoes have always held a happy place in her world. 

And she does not discriminate.

Her admiration for all things soled spans from squishy Robeez and shiny boots to Mommy’s Birks and Daddy’s dirty kicks. She can walk like a pro in my heels (better than me, I’m sure of it), and don’t even think about putting on your own shoes. Everleigh helps the other tots in daycare with their shoes, and she helps us big folk at home, too. She does a pretty good job.

On the flip side, take her to a toddler shoe store and the maelstrom of colours and velcro are just too much for her little shoe loving brain to bear. I mean, where do you even begin?!

Everleigh has been taking off her own shoes for awhile. Last week, she discovered how to put them on. So, here’s to major milestones (and the cutest little fascination that will surely cost me a fortune). 

Photo: Everleigh and her “birdie” shoes

Today we lost the best thing going for young families in Canada. Somebody better step up quick. →

Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world. — Jack Layton

Put on your own diaper, Kid!

Everleigh, who is stubborn and smart as a whip (yes, I am hopelessly biased), put on her own diaper last night. It is not a pull-up. She lay down on the floor and, with bum in air, slipped the diaper under her, grabbed the front, stood up and did up the tabs. I’m serious, folks. She did this. I was in the room. It wasn’t a perfect job, still… she won’t sit on her potty, but she can put her own diaper on?! WTF?

The Two-Minus-One Pregnancy →

Part of my job as a web producer includes five days of editorial training in NYC by Ruth Padawer, a journalist and professor at Columbia. Recently, she wrote an in-depth article on the topic of twin reduction. This is a fascinating article, worth a read (click the link above). What do you think about this new and hugely controversial reality?