Baby Bump Brides!

Here's an album from people.com shining light on Baby Bump Brides.

http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20563456,00.html#21109265 

 While I don't see myself playing Bride dress-up in the near future, I know that I have made a baby with my best friend and someone who will care and love us endlessly before, during and after the white dress-up day comes. I definitely belong to this crop of women who say mommy-to-be before bride-to-be. I was raised Catholic and still attend the church occasionally with my family up north. (I still have yet to find a church in Toronto as we're still discussing Annabelle"s baptism because it's something that Phil needs more time to think about whereas in my family there's no question about it).

 I'm thankful that today we aren't pressured and sentenced to make marriage decisions immediately. I've heard of so many stories where the only way to show respect to your family is to get married right away- it's not about the two people being emotionally or financially ready-its about what everyone else thinks. It should have been planned you say? Well I say it was. Annabelle came at a time where I needed to start a new beginning between graduating college and moving away from my first job in PR. Phil and I needed someone to kick our ass into gear for to work harder towards our future because we were moving in together before baby! I know that some young couples still fall under the pressure as we all have our elder relatives still answering to the old ways and we do want to respect them. That's why when the old Italian lady on the bus asked me how long I've been married, I said 2 years without hesitation!  That's why whe Grandmaman brings up marriage, I smile and say "soon when we're ready" and see nods in agreement knowing I've got a good head on my shoulders and things are different nowadays.

To some people marriage is a life sentence! To us, it will be a celebration of our love and I am thankful that my our families are understanding. At this point it will be exciting to have Annabelle old enough to be apart of it. We're #TeamAMP after all!  

35 days

36 days

37 days (Saturday, Jan 21-KOTD's Blackout)

38 days, Lazy Sunday!

To Be!

Photo of Phil and Scott at June Harlowe Foods, Toronto. The sweetest place and yummiest food to celebrate with the two cutest guys.
Uncle Scott Jackson Beatbox took us "to-be" parents out for our last quiet Father's Day lunch. We can't wait for macaroni crafts, scribble pictures and drool to love for years to come!

Baby:
-We're at 15 weeks now. I hear a lot of new baby developments start happening by week 16:
-Little baby parts develop so we can hopefully find out if we're having a boy or a girl!
-We've also started a Baby Pool! Due date, time and weight at $10 for three guesses and the winner will receive a prize from us! All funds go to into our account for the baby. No one has paid yet, but it's fun to see the guesses! haha.
-I was also told we could start feeling a baby kick by week 16?!

Little baby belly at 15 weeks

Cravings:
Just juicy, hydrating items like fruits and vegetables!

Work:
-Brought baby to a beatbox jam and rap battle this weekend lol. Great music weekend and everyone is so happy for Phil and I!
-Still gathering the TIFF partners for Out There. Hopefully this telemarketer life wraps up soon!

Life:
Graduating from college after four years of school this Wednesday! After one year of PR at Cambrian College and three years at Humber College plus my experience working at Out There Productions for two and a half years, I am so ready for that certified diploma. I'm really happy with my choice to pursue my education at Humber College and the Lakeshore campus will be missed! My mom, aunt & uncle from London, as well as Phil will be sharing this special day with me. The PR girls can't wait to see the little baby bump.

Love: 
We love to laugh til it hurts
-The other morning we happened to stop by the mirror in our bedroom and the one in the kitchen and just pose and make faces at each other. It was really weird...and cute.
-We ate a lot of poutine this week.
-Are we sick of each other yet? No. Falling more and more in love every night :) We watched baby videos on Youtube last night and printed Prenatal class forms for St-Joseph's hospital.

xox restless PR MOM

We have a lot to give and a lot to learn

I know all pregnant women especially for their first pregnancy, go through a series of questions, slight paranoia and loss of control like I have. It doesn't matter if you're a young new mom still working on a career and living under someone else's roof, or whether you're a top working professional, age 30 and you think you have it all. When it comes to babies, no one can ever have full control or ever prepare enough before, during and after. And this is perfectly alright.


For example, I never thought I'd be able to decide on one doctor, or one midwide, or one hospital of MY choice. How about the prenatal vitamins?! The clinic told me to go on Materna, my friend said the Equate version (which I use), and another said don't do it or you'll stay constipated. "What the heck is Folic Acid?!" People were saying "You will know, it's your choice." "What do you mean its my choice? I need YOU to tell me, I've never done this before!!" 


I turned to my best friends, my mom, the internet, my pr friends and a doula (thanks Natasha!) and in the end, I did make MY own choices. I made most of them within a week of finding out I was pregnant, which is pretty damn good . Looking back I know I could have saved some stress for Phil and I if I knew then what I've discovered now. I still haven't landed a family doctor, but we have the greatest midwife in the world. I'm sure all you women with midwives feel the same way, and that's okay, we're allowed to boast :)  

Another example is when we were chosing room colours. I've had white walls and wallpaper chosen for me my entire life. Next thing you know we're chosing colours! I'm and a black and white Chanel kinda girl! I lost sleep over the fact that I'd have coloured walls. Then one day at work I was daydreaming like pregnant people do and I told Phil how about green and brown and he said I was thinking the same. We're set.

It just goes to show that with time, everything falls into place. Although nine months never seems like enough time (especially when some of us find out it's usually past the nine month mark), you're always more than ready for the moment you hold your baby. It's human instinct. Try finding a pregnant influence in your life whether it's your dog, doula, mother or celebrity. If they can do it so can you!

A lot of people were concerned that I was worried about planning a baby shower after my last post. I mean, c'mon first time moms, you want to buy baby things and you're told to wait until a baby shower?! Who's controlling this?! Not you and it feels fregan scary. I got texts, calls, facebook msgs and e-mails. I love you all for reaching out!


The truth is I was honestly more concerned about planning the next few months with and without my love and I needed to write it all out. Baby showers are cute, short and sweet. Nothing to stress about but for now, because people have been asking me who,when and where, I had to be honest and say I have no fregan idea. And that's okay, the time will come.

As a PR and event coordinator I should know that the planning of an event can start months and advance, but it really comes down to the last week leading up to it. Or worse- the last 12 hours!

We need to remember that we're alll doing our best to prepare during our pregnancy, but the reason we have week by week studies of our baby, and appointments spread out throughout the entire nine months is so show us that it's a natural growing process. Just like our baby, we're growing and learning too, and we don't need to rush them or hurt ourselves to be the perfectly ready parent and have the perfectly set home. 


We're having a baby because we have a lot to give and a lot to learn (Kelly Cutrone, If you have to cry go outside). http://www.harpercollins.com/books/If-You-Have-Cry-Go-Outside/?isbn=9780061930935

I hope this post convinces women pregnant or not, to take 3 big belly breaths and smile. Right now. Do it.


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CHEESE :)
One day at a time.

Xxo take your own advice PR MOM