Mummy Madness

I got married and had two children all in 3 years. My son, also my first child, was born with a health condition that required surgery and we spent our first 6 weeks of parenthood in a NICU at a children’s hospital. It was the most difficult time of my life. Even after he came home I struggled with anxiety, depression, fear and anger. I turned to writing and my words slowly allowed me to crawl out of the hole I had dug myself into. I was forever changed. I began to realize that I had the ability to help others who were struggling with their journey in parenthood. As parents, we all have moments where we aren't sure what we are doing. I continue to write and share my experiences in hopes that I can help part the clouds for someone who is struggling.

It wasn’t too long ago that as soon as parents celebrated their little one’s first birthday they automatically made the switch from rear facing infant car seat to a forward facing car seat. Recommendations have changed and blowing out first birthday candles may not necessarily signify that it is time to turn the car seat around. Most babies start out their driving experience nestled comfortably in an infant bucket seat that’s easily...

Routine is something that has been a part of our family since the very beginning. One of the first routines we put in place was a bed time routine. Story time has been a huge part of  our bedtime routine from the very beginning, in fact I read to both my children before they were even born. I love reading and I wanted to pass on my passion for books to my kids. Our personal library keeps growing and  we like to change up our books often but...

I used to dream of pigtails. Pigtails wrapped in ribbons, ribbons that matched dresses and pretty little shoes. There was a time that I dreamed of braids. I pictured a little girl with braids wrapping the side of her head. Big eyes, a beautiful smile and little ribbon tipped braids wrapping right around her little head. Reality consists of the big eyes and the beautiful smile but something is missing. No ribbons. No pigtails. No braids. I...

One of my absolute favorite things about summertime is all the farm fresh fruits and vegetables that packs the farmers markets, street stands and supermarkets. The closer to home it was grown the better it tastes. Juicy peaches, plump strawberries, sweet corn it’s all fresh, delicious and most importantly nutritious. When we were lucky enough to walk out of those NICU doors I vowed that I would do whatever I could to help my kids live a...

I hate change. It is one of my biggest weaknesses. Change makes me nervous, anxious and uncomfortable. Yet, life with children is full of change. It’s inevitable. As they grow things are bound to change. Recently, we have had to make a change to our daycare provider and it has been more difficult than I imagined. Our daycare provider has been a part of our family for five years. Our children have been occupying a spot in her home and in...

BBQ season is upon us once again and when the weather gets hot the last thing I want to do is cook. One of my favourite things to eat on these hot days is a bocconcini tomato salad. It’s super easy to make and a great dish to take when you are invited to a BBQ. 2 cups of cherry tomatoes 1 cup of bocconcini cheese (I like to use the mini ones) Fresh basil –torn Olive Oil Pinch of salt   Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and...

Every change of season I find myself in the same place. Sitting on the floor in front of a closet surrounded by piles of children’s clothing feeling overwhelmed trying to determine what to do with it all. Kids can easily outgrow their clothes faster than they can wear them and many items may remain in perfect condition able to be used again. The thought of just throwing out perfectly good clothing has never appealed to me and the idea of...

Seems like summer may finally be on its way! The sun is coming out, temperatures are heating up and splash pads are starting to open! My absolute favourite part of summer has always been cooling off with the kids. There is nothing more refreshing than cold water on a hot day. It is the easiest way to cool both yourself and the kids off when the weather is steamy. I introduced my babies to water as soon as I possibly could. I wanted to help...

My journey into motherhood did not start out as I had imagined. Rather than quiet nights spent snuggling my baby, I spent my first few weeks as a mother visiting my baby in a NICU. I wasn’t able to even hold my first born for almost a week, our only touches came when he grasped my fingers through the incubator or our noses touched as I bent over his little bed trying to make sure he knew I was there. This was not how I envisioned...

I love to bake. I love it even more now that I get to bake with the kids and luckily they love it too! You will often find us measuring, mixing and pouring in the kitchen and holidays are a perfect excuse to make homemade delicious treats. I’m always on the lookout for new recipes that are simple to make with children. One of my favourite websites for my baking recipes is www.joyofbaking.com. I happen to have tried many of the wonderful...

Before I even had a family of my own I knew that I wanted to have dinner as a family as often as possible. From almost the moment our couple grew into a threesome we instilled a family meal time. Each and every night, without fail, we gather around the table to eat our dinner together. We have evolved from a bouncy chair sitting right on top of the table keeping us company while we enjoyed our meal, to a high chair pulled up alongside us,...

Sleep or lack thereof is probably one of the most important issues for new parents. From almost the moment I announced my pregnancy the most common piece of advice I received was “Sleep now cause soon you won’t be getting any” I have to admit it terrified me. I am an eight hour a night sleeper. I need my sleep or else I fall apart. I could not imagine having to wake up every two hours with a baby and still be able to function the next...