Top Ten Reasons I Haven't Been Blogging

You may or may not have noticed that I have been absent for quite a while. The hiatus was unintentional, but there is no shortage of reasons for it. Here are ten of them:

1) We got Netflix. Those of you who have it know what I mean.

2) I'm trying to get back to a healthier lifestyle and fit in 3-4 workouts a week.

3) I started a new job in November. It's only part-time, but the caseload is broader than I'm used to, and I'm spending loads of mental energy learning and growing as a clinician.

4) I have a four-and-a-half-year-old and a 19-month-old, yo. (I know, not really a proper excuse. I'm not the first woman to give birth to two children. But there hardly seem to be enough hours in the day!)

5) I've been too lazy to carry my big girl camera around. I used to find that my photos inspired many of my blog posts. Lately my iPhone has been my go-to.

6) Instagram. See above.

7) The sleep situation at our house has been all over the place for the past few months, meaning that I need to go to bed shortly after my kids if I want to have a hope of getting a good night's sleep. (Well, that's what I should be doing anyway. Netflix says otherwise.)

8) Words with Friends.

9) Despite number 6 and number 8, I am actually making a conscious effort to be truly present when I'm with my kids. Sometimes I succeed at this and sometimes I don't, but I am certainly spending less time on social media and I think my Twitter followers would say I've pretty much dropped off the map.

10) I feel a certain internal tug-of-war when it comes to blogging my thoughts and feelings on motherhood.  I struggle between loyalty to my children and the need to vent when things get frustrating.  It didn't matter so much when Lilah was younger and less aware, but now she picks up on everything and while I want to be real about motherhood, I also want to make sure I don't say things I don't mean simply in the spirit of venting or even just to get a laugh.  Sometimes I treat blogging like a conversation between friends, but the truth is, I am putting something out there on the internet and someday she or Henry may read what I've written.  All this internal struggle has lead to a bit of paralysis, I'm afraid.

What about you? Do you blog in fits and starts like me, or are you more dedicated? And how do you juggle your Netflix schedule with your blogging schedule? ;) I'll take notes!

10 Reasons to Love Listicles

Today, my friends, is a momentous day in blogging history, for today marks the Listmaster's 100th listicle.  To celebrate, I'm writing a list of reasons to love listicles.

1.  They cure the Sunday evening/Monday morning blues.

2.  You can make up any excuse to share random and gratuitously cute photos of your baby.

3.  They're free.

4.  No need to mess around with paragraphs, and full sentences are optional.  Who doesn't love point form?

5.  If you can count to ten, you can listicle.

6.  No one minds if you stray from the proposed topic.

7.  Listiclers are a very special breed of blogger, and you get to meet dozens of them!

8.  Stasha.

9.  They will bring a smile to your face and happy emoticons to your fingertips.

10.  What's not to love????

 

Guest Post: Motherhood, Take 2

Another one of my fave Vancouver mommy bloggers is stopping by to give me a hand with this whole bringing home another baby thing.  Bruna of Bees With Honey gets it - she's done it more than once and now has three beautiful girls and a happy household to show for it.  Here's her best advice for a second run at motherhood:

Motherhood, Take 2

 

Out-numbered

When you have Baby #1, it’s immediately out-numbered. There are two parents to one child. Although your life is forever changed by having ababy, you’re able to tag team with husband to do the things you need to do like take a nap, clean house a bit or have a shower. There is always one of you free to look out for baby.  When baby #2 comes along, it’s one parent for each child. The tag teaming becomes much more challenging with a little person and a baby demanding your undivided attention. It’s amazing how quickly hubby and you will find a way to creatively balance caring for two while still trying to fulfill your own personal needs and wants at the same time. Be a good team together and you’ll go places!

 

Every baby is different 

The things that worked with your first child may have to be chucked out the window with your second. No two babies are the same and if you luck out and have a really docile baby #2, consider yourself lucky. Baby and parenting books provide many bits ofadvice. What may have worked with baby #1 may not work for baby #2. Don’t let it make you doubt your mothering expertise. You will find a way to please #2 by simple trial and error like you did with baby #1. Having babies who end up being so very different from each other adds spice to mothering. Celebrate your babies’ differences! Don’t let it get you down.

No More Napping when Baby Naps

With one baby, you can still nap when it naps. Once baby #2 shows up, afternoon napping becomes a figment of your imagination only. If ever you manage to get both kids napping at the same time, you’ll feel as if you’ve won a lottery.  The chances it happens are one in a million. 

 

Keeping Up with Household Chores

Once you begin caring for two little ones, keeping up with household chores becomes very challenging to say the least.  Don’t let your inability to do it all make you feel incompetent. No one can do it all. Don’t try to be superwoman and overexert yourself to keep an immaculate abode. It’s not worth it.  Your house will always need to be cleaned but your children will only be little for a short while. Enjoy every moment you have with them.

Giving Each Child an Equal Amount of Attention

Child #1 may or may not go through an adjustment period once baby #2 comes home. Having been the centre of attention and the apple of mommy’s eye for so long, she may find it difficult to share parental attention with her new baby brother – at first – or she may not.  You won’t know until it happens.  Invite child #1 to take on a helping role in caring for baby #2. Emphasize the importance of being a big sister and celebrate her new role in the family. Try your best to set aside some time for child #1 and you to do something special without baby even if it’s only reading a book or colouring or playing a short game.  Child #1 will appreciate any amount of un-divided attention she gets from either parent. Whatever you do, don’t feel guilty if you can’t give your first the same amount of attention as you once did. Lilah will eventually get used to the new family way and then feel as if she didn’t know any better.

Time with your Spouse

You’ll be tired. You’ll be grumpy. You’ll lack sleep. As hard as it feels at first, you’ll eventually get used to it.  Find ways to still spend time with your hubby once you both settle in to a groove with the new family circle.  He may or may not feel somewhat invisible to you once baby #2 shows up and you both become busier.  Take advantage of willing babysitters and try to get out for short bouts of time if only to talk over a cup of coffee. Keep those communication lines open and honest.

It’s the Simple Things that Will Matter the Most 

As with becoming a mother for the first time, you’ll find becoming a mother all over again will make you appreciate even more the little things in life. Things like hubby letting you sleep in, having a shower,getting out of the house and having adult conversation end up being wonderful treats once you’re a busy mama of two. Although you’ll be busier and have less time for yourself, you’ll cherish every moment you have with your little ones while they’re little because you know just how fast they grow up. The sacrifice is well worth the reward.

When all is said and done and people give you their advice on parenting multiple children, what matters most in the end is what is in your heart. Follow your motherly instincts and rely on your experience. No one knows your children better than you and don’t you forget that!
 
Thank you so much for sharing your tips, Bruna. They are both thoughtful and practical, and I really appreciate the support and advice from mamas like you who have gone before.


So we know she gives great advice, but also? What a beautiful family this lucky lady has!  You can read more about their adventures and Bruna's thoughts on motherhood here.

Guest Post: You Might Be a Mother of Two...

I am both honoured and excited to share today's guest post with you.  Lisa is not only the brains, voice, and typing fingers behind one of my favourite blogs, Schwartz Chronicles, she is also a personal friend and an all-around supportive, positive person.  Lisa and I go way back - before kids and even before marriage, to the days when we overshared in the bar after too many drinks instead of oversharing  on the internet.  (That's right, the pre-blogging days!) I always enjoy reading Lisa's take on motherhood, and I knew when I asked her that she would offer a fresh perspective on becoming a mommy of two.  The post below did not disapoint!

I was thrilled when Amanda asked me to write a guest post about making the transition from being the mother of one to being the mother to two. So many thoughts ran through my head.  I had ideas.  I had pieces of advice.  I had snippets of memories of things I had forgotten.  One thing I remember clearly, as if it happened yesterday, was waking up one morning not too far into being a mother to two and thinking, Oh my, I forgot how little sleep you get.   There may have been an f-bomb at the beginning of that thought.  But in the whole scheme of things, the lack of sleep doesn’t last long and is worth it because there is nothing quite like that newborn smell and those special snuggles shared in the quiet of the night.

Shamelessly stolen from Jeff Foxworthy’s, “You might be a redneck,”  You might the be the mother of two if……

1.  You might be the mother of two if the sound of a child crying doesn’t quite rattle you the same as it did when you had one.

2.  You might be the mother of two if going to the grocery store by yourself ranks right up there with a visit to the spa.

3.  You might be the mother of two if getting both kids to nap at the same time feels like a victory worthy of a gold medal.

4.  You might be the mother of two if you stretch the truth about the age of your youngest child to make a family outing more affordable (i.e. Disney Character Breakfast. Does it make it o.k. if he was two when we made the reservation?).

5.  You might be the mother of two if your oven timer has become a turn taking timer and you almost forget what the timer was meant to do.

6.  You might be the mother of two if taking care of one child feels like a break.

7.  You might be the mother of two if you often utter the phrase, “Could the two of you stop tormenting each other.”

8.  You might be the mother of two if the kids have been asleep for hours, Treehouse is still on and you don’t even notice.

9. You might be the mother of two if you can’t remember the last time you closed the door to use the bathroom or went to the bathroom alone.

10.  You might be the mother of two if at the end of the day a hug, a kiss and a snuggle fills your heart with love and makes it all worth while.

I can’t wait to meet the newest addition to the Lilahbility family.  Do you have any “you might be the mother of two” one liners to add?

Go stop by Schwartz Chronicles and see what Lisa and family have been up to this summer  and while you're there, you can check out Captain Canada's wonderful photos of their amazing adventures.

Great Expectations

“That was the thing about the world: it wasn't that things were harder than you thought they were going to be, it was that they were hard in ways that you didn't expect.” ― Lev Grossman

I think it's safe to say that this very same quote could be applied to parenthood.

Sure, I had high expectations for myself as a mother.  Didn't we all, before we became parents?

Turns out mine were fairly lofty, given my experience in working with kids and my knowledge of child development.  Today I'm over at Greta's place talking about the great expectations I brought to motherhood from my professional role as a speech-language pathologist.

Greta lives it up in Kansas, g-funk style, and looks after her four kids, all while wearing her sassy pants.  Now that's one busy mama! She's funky, she's fun, and she just threw a rainbow-themed party for two of her girls, one of whom just turned three.  Great minds think alike.  Come visit me over at GFunkified!

May Marvelousness

Time for Best of the Blogosphere, May 2012 edition.


Bianca simultaneously added a fun new word to my vocabulary and made me snort my drink out my nose with this post: What the Poopfart?  (Caution: refrain from drinking anything carbonated while reading.)


Over at The Adventures of OBB, Kate took a dark topic and made it light.  It's pretty much impossible to feel sorry for this strong survivor, but if you want to know The Top 10 Reasons It Is Cool To Have No Boobs, click here!


I can so relate to Amber's post, Eating Chocolate Chips on the Sly.  Guilty as charged!

Sometimes (um, let's face it, with kids, a lot of times) photo shoots don't go quite as you envision them.  Susan made me laugh with her Mother's Day Photo Fail.


Bruna's daughter showed that she might just follow in her blogger mommy's footsteps with this one:
Advice from a Teenager.  I'm going to have to store some of those tips away in my brain and pull them out in about, oh, ten years or so.


And finally, though I didn't get around to posting much in May, my favourite Lilahbility post was this one, mainly for the photos, because I managed to snap them at that most magical time of day when the sun is setting and light is golden.  And it's been rainy and cold ever since.

Now head on over to Time out for Mom 

to check out some more favourites!

February Favourites

Well, so.  February.  What to say about February?  It was extremely looong for such a short month (yeah, that extra day just really did me in), and I can't say I'm sorry to see it go.  March means the beginning of spring!  And flowers!  And birds chirping!  And prepping for Easter!

But back to February.  Here are just a few of the fabulous posts that helped me get through this cruel, exhausting month:

Runner Mom Jen made we swoon with her entry on Surrender.

Tears sprang to my eyes while I was over at Schwartz Chronicles reading Lisa's thoughts on how time marches on and babies grow up in Booster Seats and Roller Coaster Rides. This one really hit home for me!

Sue at Cookie's Chronicles picked some excellent songs for the soundtrack of her life and I sighed with contentment on reading #10 on her list.

Germaine at Kiddothings brought a much-needed smile to my face with this post on New Arrivals - expected the unexpected!

The way Galit of These Little Waves weaves words together always leaves me in awe and this post on things getting easier is no exception.  Absolute perfection.  (Plus, it reminds me why we decided to try for a Lilahbility part deux.)

And finally, my favourite post from my own little corner of the blogosphere this month was about winning life's lottery.  I walk around every day with horseshoes up my butt and rainbows on my horizon.  When I really think about it, February never even stood a chance!

Thank goodness for splatter painting and cupcakes!

(Instagram for iPhone: my newest addiction.  My user name is lilahbility if you want to follow our adventures there, too.)

The Ghost of Blogging Past

It's been almost two years since I started Lilahbility - can you believe that?  I know for you, dear readers, it probably feels like two decades ago just yesterday.  Thanks to Mommy2Cents and Chosen Chaos and their Ghosts of Blogging Past Linkup, I am going deep into the archives to bring you one of my very first posts.  I tend to cringe a bit when I read old posts, but I'll take one for the team.  I know, I'm a giver.  You're welcome.


 

 

Here's what I posted on February 13, 2010: 

 No Use Crying Over Spilt Milk

Whoever invented that idiom was probably male and obviously had never had the pleasure of hooking himself up to a breast pump. Pumping is the bane of my existence, but a necessary evil if I am to enjoy any independence from my li'l Lilahbility.

Every drop of breastmilk is precious, and spilling some of the hard-earned liquid has always, at the very least, elicited a swear word or two from me, if not tears. (Okay, the tears were more during my extremely hormonal early postpartum days, but still!) I now understand why one dad I know refers to the stuff as "liquid gold."

Around 9:30 every morning after Lilah goes down for her first nap of the day, the familiar sound of the pump can be heard around our apartment- in fact, that's what's playing in the background at this very moment! Shhhh... can you hear it? Suck-suck, slurp-slurp, they're playing my song!

Personally, in one pumping session, I can only pump a quarter to a third of what Lilah takes during a big feed. That means three or four days of pumping for one measly bedtime bottle.

Bagging, labelling, freezing, and counting my store of milk in the freezer has become almost a compulsion for me. All is right with the world if I have 40-50 ounces stored up. Any less than that, and I start to get a little edgy. Those little plastic bags in the freezer are the key to my freedom!

So now are you really going to tell me not to cry over spilt milk, Mr. Idiom-Maker-Upper-Man?

Let's Bee Friends!

Hey, guess what?  I'm bee-ing featured on Bees With Honey today!  Bruna features a different blogger each Friday for Let's Bee Friends, and this week she has extended the honour to none other than yours truly.  Her blog is aptly named, because this lady is a busy Queen Bee but also sweet as honey.  So buzz on over and check us out!

Look at Me, I'm on FIRE!

I'm thrilled to report that Sue over at Cookie's Chronicles deemed Lilahbility worthy of the Blog on Fire Award.  Thanks Sue, you're pretty hot yourself!

Along with this great honour comes an invitation to engage in one of my favourite past-times: talking about myself.  I may have used some of my best material back in February when I was given the Stylish Blogger Award, but I will do my best to come up with seven facts about myself that don't bore you to tears.  No falling asleep on my watch, you hear?

1.  I don't like coffee.  Most people look at me like I have three heads when I say that.  I am a parent, I am chronically sleep-deprived, and yet I do not rely on the bitter black stuff to keep me awake.  I got through seven years' worth of university - including the occasional all-nighter - without becoming addicted, so I figure I can live without it.  I do get by with a little help from Mr. Tetley on work days, though.  I am only human, after all.
 

2.  Guilty pleasures: The Bachelorette, Life & Style Magazine, Twitter, white wine, chips (especially All Dressed flavour), peanut butter and of course, CHOCOLATE.  (That's right, I have both a sweet tooth and a salt tooth.  What?  Why are you looking at me like that?) 



This is me winking.  It's not that bad, is it?
P.S. That's a ponytail on my head, not a rat tail.
Ew. Remind me to get my hair cut.



 3.  I think I can wink my left eye, but the Hubs says I look deranged.  Don't even bother asking me to wink my right eye - even I know I can't do that one!

4. I am a candy cruncher.  I try to be the type of person who daintily savours a mint or hard candy for hours until it is just a tiny speck, but I always end up unconsciously biting into it and before I know it, the darn thing is gone and I am reaching for a new one.  This happens even with throat lozenges.  Must. Learn.Self-restraint.

5. The Hubs calls me Hector the Corrector. It's not my fault.  It comes with the territory of being a speech therapist.  My ear is finely tuned; trained to suss out the slightest speech error and flood my brain with alarm bells and red flags.  I often have to bite my tongue to make sure I don't offend people. And sometimes even then I am unable to stop the correction from tumbling out of my mouth.  With the Hubs, I let it all hang out, which means that he is subjected to far more frequent correction than any human being should ever have to put up with.

6.  I have had several discussions with my neighbours regarding personality type and baking/cooking preferences.  We boiled it down to this: those that like to bake are generally drawn the order and exactness of it.  They like to stick to formulas and ratios and are more concrete thinkers than those that like to cook.  Those that prefer cooking enjoy being more creative in the kitchen; adding a pinch of this and a dash of that and sampling their creation throughout the process until it satisfies their taste buds.  Being the strongly left-brained person that I am, I like to follow recipes to the letter (at least until I am very comfortable with them), so baking is totally my thing.  While trying to get dinner made on a timeline in our tiny kitchen frazzles me, I usually find baking both relaxing and enjoyable.  Luckily for me, the Hubs enjoys cooking and is pretty darn good at it too!

7. I stalk other people's wedding photos on Facebook.  Even people I'm not actually friends with.  I can't help myself.  I just love weddings!  I think this penchant is partly due to a subconscious desire to re-live my own big day.  I'm hoping this semi-normal.  Any other wedding photo stalkers out there?  Don't be shy, I've already paved the way by putting myself out there - so 'fess up!

And now to pass the bloggy award love on, here are a few of my personal faves:

Schwartz Chronicles: Lisa is one of the sweetest, most supportive people you could ever hope to know, and whatever parenting issue you might be going through with your young child(ren), she's probably been through it too, so you can be sure you won't be met with judgement, but rather empathy and some good old-fashioned commiseration!

Bees With Honey:  Another absolute sweetheart, Bruna is the mother of three gorgeous girls, which makes her a seasoned veteran of parenting in my books.  She hosts one of my favourite link-ups, Let's Bee Friends Friday, and introduces her readers to a different fantastic blogger each week.
The Adventures of OBB: My friend Kate is the same age as I am and she also has a young daughter at home.  But she's dealing with far more than dirty diapers and toddler tantrums since her breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year.  Despite the subject matter, her blog is far from depressing.  It is inspiring, heart-wrenching, and beautiful all at the same time.  Highly recommended reading.

See Theo Run: Harriet shares her experiences and thoughts on open adoption and life as a mixed-race family, as well as the general ups and downs of parenting one of the cutest, most active little guys on the planet.

Absolutely Narcissism: I hesitated to even put Sandra on this list because she's already so popular, and cool, and hilarious, and pretty, and totally awesome and... no, I'm not a stalker.  (Well, not really.  Much.  But I kinda think she'd be okay with me being one anyway, since she's sort of been down that road recently herself.)

Lilah Got Da Blues

On Wednesday I showed you sickeningly cute photos of Lilah's 2nd birthday.  And now I'm going to up the ante on this whole Mommy blogging thing and subject you to a video of her first music recital:

The audience participation element really enhances the performance, don't you think? 

(Sidenote: if a two-year-old ever offers you a turn on her harmonica, you may want to accept the offer only if you are directly related to said two-year-old.  And then prepare for a saliva bath.  Consider yourself warned.)

Special thanks to Theo (and his parents) for this totally inspired birthday gift!

The Glass is More Than Half Full

If you've been following along lately, you've probably noticed that my recent posts have been pretty ooey gooey.  Somebody or something abducted my sarcasm and replaced it with pure cheese.  Maybe it's the small doses of Vitamin D the Vancouver weather has finally been granting us, sending me soaring higher than a kite.  Maybe it's just the phase that Lilah is going through.  Or maybe I've lost just lost my sarcasm mojo due to lack of sleep.  Whatever it is, I'm finding myself melting into puddles of schmaltz at any given moment.  It's a little embarrassing, to be truthful.

Just one adorable moment amongst many.

I've heard other moms declare every age the best age, and vow that things just get better and better with each new phase.  I haven't exactly found that to be the case.  If I'm being totally honest, there are phases that I have enjoyed less than others.  But this age?  This age is phenomenal. She tells me I look pretty, she can sometimes play for a few minutes on her own, and she even peed on the potty once(!) to name but a few of the countless highlights. Don't get me wrong, there are still frequent tantrums, and lately there has been lots of purposeful boundary-pushing and outright defiance.  But at the moment, the insanely adorable, melting-puddle-of-schmaltz moments far outweigh the tough ones.

At the same time, when things are this good, I find myself constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering when it's going to catch up with me.  Can things really be this good?  The glass is more than half full.  Watch out, soon it's going to tip over and pour out all over the floor.  But I am doing my best to quiet that voice and just enjoy the beautiful, perfect moments as they come.  Because I know too many people in my real life who are currently dealing with personal tragedies and serious illnesses.  People who are much too young to be facing the issues they are being forced to face.  I have this sense that fully enjoying the amazing little moments life presents me with right now somehow honours these friends of mine.

Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place. But there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around. ~E.L. Konigsburg

And so I swoon, and wax sentimental, and write corny posts that may cause the more cynical among my readers to vomit in their mouths a little.  It's my prerogative - as a mother, as a blogger, and as a friend to several people who've lately been dealt a crap hand and are still managing to make the most of their cards.  Call it a tribute, call it a reality check, call it not whining because others are dealing with real problems, call it what you will.  I call it sipping from an overflowing glass.

Life is sweet.  Have some more cake.

(Oh, and for those of you who might be concerned that I'm becoming totally spoiled, don't worry.  I wrote most of this post before I came down from the high of another amazing weekend full of birthday parties, unexpected sleep-ins, outdoor activity, and good friends.  And then Monday hit, and I was my usual Monday self - tired, a little stressed out at work, and mildly cranky.  Lilah had a brief tantrum after I picked her up from daycare, and then I arrived home to cat puke in my hallway.  So all in all, a typical Monday, tipping the scales a tiny bit towards the mediocre.)

One joy scatters a thousand griefs~ Chinese proverb

The Lazy Blogger's Party Summary

At the risk of flogging a dead horse, I am going to mention this one last time: I was nominated as one of Vancouver's top 30 mom bloggers by VancouverMom, and it was really cool.  Not only did I get to count myself among these incredible women, I also got to meet them in person!  The party was held at Bopomo Pictures in Kitsilano, and attendees included nominees from this year and last year.  Cram 40 (or so) moms into one space, and you will end up with a wonderfully busy, noisy atmosphere; one that I would make me feel shy under normal circumstances.  Add in the fact that I only knew one person in the room in real life (Harriet of See Theo Run), and you have a truly intimidating situation.

Social anxiety notwithstanding, I did manage to have a great time.  It helped that Harriet was kind enough to pick me up on her way there, introduce me to several people she knew, and make sure that I was never standing alone staring awkwardly at the veggies and dip or something.  Quite appropriate, really, considering that reading Harriet's blog was part of what inspired me to start blogging in the first place.

And here's where my laziness kicks in.  I could give you the whole lowdown on the party and the awesome swag we walked away with, but a few of my fellow nominees have already covered that, so I figure, meh, why re-invent the wheel?

Apparently I wasn't the only one overcome with awkwardness at the thought of attending this party.  I felt a whole lot more normal after reading MonkeeMama Naomi's hilarious and self-deprecating review of the evening.   Jodi of RantsnRascals overcame some real obstacles to attend the party and also came with the one (very brave!) man in tow.  You can read her summary here.  Oh, and let's not forget the swag!  Tanaya of Bubbles Make Him Smile gives the lowdown (and photos!) here.

Well done, ladies, thanks for your thorough and entertaining summaries of a great evening!  (Oh my god, it just hit me, I am totally that kid in school that doesn't lift a finger and then cheats off the other kids' tests!  Gah!)

Now I've Gone and Done it!

Yes, friends, I have gone and jumped on that bandiest of bandwagons and joined Twitter.  Because having an iPhone makes me feel like a modern woman who's down with the latest teck-naw-la-gee.  Or something.

Join me!  http://twitter.com/#!/lilahbility 

And The Winner Is...

The title of Favourite Fabulous Vancouver Mom Blogger goes to Karen Brackett of Adventures of the Sunshine Brigade!  Congrats to Karen and all of my fellow nominees.  I can't wait to meet them all at the party.  (Oh, wait, did I forget to tell you the best part of all of this?  On May 19th, Vancouvermom.ca is hosting a party in our honour!  Woot, woot!)

Monthly Recap: What I Learned in April 2011

This is part of Amber Strocel's monthly link-up.

1. It is, in fact, possible for carrots to explode in the microwave.

2. On the occasion of a friend's bachelorette party, I discovered that I am old.  The club scene just doesn't hold the same allure that it did when I was in my twenties.  I do like to dance, but I can do without the smoke machines, the expensive, watered-down beverages, and the young people acting ridiculous.  I know, I'm a real fuddy-duddy.  Imagine what I'll be like when I'm 90!

3.  Toddlers can catch on to the point of an egg hunt pretty darn quickly when there's chocolate involved.

4. Hindsight is 20/20.  For Lilah, a period of major crankiness often precedes a massive language explosion.

5. People like positivity.  Here I was, trying to be all witty and ironic and stuff, and it turns out that the post that got the most positive feedback, pretty much ever, was What's Good?, a post about finding the good in situations, a message I picked up at a professional conference I had attended.  Who knew being earnest and gooey would be so popular?


It official, spring is good.

 6.  Like her mama, my little Lilahbility tends to be slow to warm up.  Gymnastics class, swim class, a trip to the farm, and pretty much any new experience will see her acting extremely shy and clinging to Mummy or Daddy - until we are about ready to pack it in.  And that is the precise moment at which she will decide she wants to participate.

7. Toddlers can talk about a particular subject of interest, like an owie or poo-poo all day, everyday, for weeks on end, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

8. My love/hate relationship with Vancouver's cherry blossoms was rekindled.  Love the pretty, hate the allergies.

9. Lilah looks a lot more like me than people give me credit for on first glance.

Me as a toddler.

10.  If you are going to set up an email address specifically for the purpose of your blog, you should a) remember that this email account exists, and b) check it regularly.  Turns out I missed months' worth of email and several recent messages from Vancouver Mom alerting me that I had made the 2011 30 Fabulous Vancouver Mom Bloggers list and asking me to send in a bio and a photo for their feature.   I have no idea how I got nominated for this list, but I am over the moon to even have been considered for it.  And I feel like a complete tool for being such a delinquent.

By absolutely no means do I consider myself a real contender for this title, but I am absolutely thrilled to be lumped in with the pretty and popular kids, so don't burst my bubble, mmmkay?  Throw a few votes my way by clicking here. And don't forget to check out the other fabulous mom bloggers on the list!

"Stylish" Me: 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know

The awesome and ever-so-stylish Harriet at See Theo Run has bestowed upon me my first ever blogging award - and a Stylish one at that!  I guess it takes one to know one.

At the risk of coming off a whole lot less stylish, I'll abide by the rules of the award and share seven things you may not know (nor want to know!) about me:

1. I look a whole lot better with makeup on.  I know this because, whenever I am not wearing makeup, people are constantly approaching me with a concerned look on their face and telling me I look tired.  Nope, that's just how I look without makeup.  But thanks for your concern.

2.  I am highly competitve when it comes to both sports and word games.

3.  I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up.  That is, until I realized I would have to apply myself in such challenging high school classes such as chemistry, maths, and oh, I don't know, maybeee... biology.  I settled for applying to Arts programs at several universities, and then somehow ended up with a M.Sc. afterall.  Life is full of surprises.

4.  I seem to have a low tolerance for dairy products, so I save my alotment for small amounts of cheese and large amounts of dessert.  Some things are worth a tummy ache and some flatulence.  (Tres stylish, don't you think?)

5.  My hair is extremely confused.  The top layer is straight, the middle layer is curly/frizzy, and the bottom layer is straight again. I'd be happy with curly or striaght,  I just wish it would just make up its damn mind already!

6.  I am actually a ninja.  (More on that in a future post.)

7. I love me a good nap.  Speaking of which...

**********************************************************************************

And I'm back!  (Still look tired, in case you were wondering.)  And now, to spread the love.  Here are my nominees for the Stylish Blogger Award:

Juju Be Baby: Celina's (extremely brave!) year-long adventure traveling around the world with her husband and toddler Juju in tow
Old School/New School Mom: Sarah shares daily anecdotes and points out the ironies of motherhood
The Adventures of Brain Tumour Man: Taleen documents her family's journey as they take on her husband's brain tumour diagnosis and prove that they are true superheroes
Oscarelli: Jenni barely contains the chaos of life with two boys only 18 months apart
All Day I Dream About Food: My sister Carolyn proves that kickin' it low carb in the kitchen doesn't mean sacrificing flavour or fun

Cheers, stylish ladies!  Feel free to pass this on or ignore it completely.

Celebrating One Year of Lilahbloggity

On February 4th, 2010, with my first ever post, I dipped my toe into the vast ocean that is the blogosphere.  And the water?  It was fine.  More than fine, actually.  I've been hooked ever since.

It's been exactly one year since I started this blog.  It has become such a valuable outlet for me over the past year.  It's a space where I can vent my frustrations and share my triumphs, motherhood-related and beyond.  A place for preserving our family memories and displaying my favourite photos of my favourite little girl.  And I have connected with some really cool people in the process.

So, happy birthday to my bloggy baby.  I don't always give you the attention you deserve, but you've been good to me all the same.  Just one question... what to wish for! 
Hmmm... maybe more readers?  :)

Me (at what I estimate to be age seven, judging by the number of candles),
pondering my birthday wish

To those who have been following along: thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, and thanks for inspiring me to continue.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the mommas out there,

To the mommas who wear the "badges" of motherhood: stretch marks, C-section scars, bite marks, carpal tunnel, shoulder injuries, aches and pains, bumps and bruises,

To the mommas who squeezed a watermelon-sized baby out of their lady business,

To the adoptive mommas, birth mommas, step-mommas, mommas-to-be, grandma mommas, single mommas,

(All the women, who independent, throw your hands up at me... Just kidding!)

To the mommas whose formerly adult living rooms have become playrooms, whose cars are now full of carseats, toys, and crumbs,

To all the mommas who unknowingly walk around all day with spit-up/drool/snot on their clothing,

To the mommas who make dinner/empty the dishwasher/talk on the phone/type on the computer with a baby or child hanging off them or crawling all over them,

To all the mommas whose lives have been changed forever by a tiny person,

I wish you a very Happy Mother's Day!!!

I leave you now with my three favourite Mother's Day posts:

strocel.com

seetheorun

listentolena

Double Digits!

Woohoo! I've finally broken through into double digit territory on my "follower" count. But only because I nagged the Hubs into finally becoming one. Actually, if you must know, I bribed him with the promise of sexual favours. Hey, I figured he does read the blog regularly, why not make it official? I could use the ego boost, and he could use the action. (Haha, the trick is to promise the favours and then take as long as you possibly can to make good on the offer.)

10 whole followers. I'm drunk on the power!

There are a few people who have admitted to reading my blog at least semi-regularly but have yet to jump out of the shadows and onto the bandwagon. If that mixed metaphor applies to you, all you have to do is sign up as a follower and all will be forgiven. Hmmm... it just occurred to me that maybe it's the term "follower" that's holding you back? It does have a certain derogatory ring to it. Well, I can't do anything about the official Blogger terminology, but we can go with the more PC term "reader" if that makes you feel better.

I looked for a "feed my ego" gadget to spruce up my sidebar, but all I could find was "feed my fish," which, although fun, wasn't quite as apropos. So you'll just have to click "follow" instead. My ego thanks you in advance.