Does This Baby

End of the Fashion Challenge

2012-02-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

The best thing about having a limited choice was that picking out something to wear in the morning was a no brainer. This is what I got, that's what I wore yesterday, this is what I can do. These are the outfits for the rest of the week. I've been using Instagram for my photos, and am loving it.

Day 3 - Slim trousers, black long sleeve, Chanel Inspired Flats

Day 4 - Boyfriend jeans, white tee, pink cardigan, black pumps

Day 5 - Black long sleeve, black dress, Chanel Inspired Flats

Day 2 Outfit

2012-02-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

My co-workers think I'm being silly. Wearing a limited number of items for a week doesn't seem like much of a challenge to them. Regardless, they amuse me by taking pictures of me.

This is day two.

Tweed jacket, boyfriend jeans, and white tee

Chanel Inspired Flats

5 Day Fashion Challenge

2012-02-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

I didn't get my shit together fast enough to join my friend Sheila on her 30 for 30 For 12 Challenge so I'm going to do my own mini challenge until I can join her in March.

For my challenge I picked 9 pieces that I can wear for the next 5 days; slim trousers, black dress, boyfriend jeans, white tee, black long sleeve, tweed jacket, pink cardigan, Chanel Inspired flats, and black suede pumps. I can only wear these pieces. I can't repeat an outfit. Accessories don't count. The goal is to be creative. The bi-product is less time in my closet looking for something to wear.

Here is Day 1. I didn't mean to match my glasses to my cardigan but they just happen to be ready for me to pickup this morning.

Black dress, Pink Cardigan, Black Pumps

New glasses!

The 9 pieces for 5 Days

My Three Year Old is Ruining My Life

2012-01-27T09:58:00.001-08:00

Not really. I just want to see how many people google that. If you got here because you searched that, please remind yourself that children keep a family together, especially when one can't find a babysitter.

I remember the days when I could hang out in my closet for hours trying on different outfits. I remember making last minute plans to see a pal at a new restaurant, coffee shop. I remember walking aimlessly in boutiques, staring for hours at all the pretty new clothes. I remember when I could pee without someone barging in the room asking what I was doing. Those days are long gone. They've been replaced with a little girl that wants to try on my dresses, even though they're huge on her. Last minute plans have been replaced by strategic (at least we try), play dates at kid friendly cafes. I rarely get the chance to walk aimlessly in a pretty boutique. I now follow Elle around aimlessly in Build a Bear.

It's a new life, and it's pretty sweet.

Steps to Making Glitter Pumps

2012-01-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

Step 1 - Get a rip in your heel by doing something stupid while intoxicated.

Step 2 - Buy glue for shoes and some glitter.

Step 3 - Use an old toothbrush to spread the glue on one clean heel.

Step 4 - Sprinkle glitter all over the heel.

Step 5 - Repeat on other heel.

Step 6 - Let dry before wearing them and going out to get intoxicated.

I Found A Dress in My Husband's Closet

2012-01-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

Everything comes together when you throw it out to the Universe. So I posted that I was on a shopping diet. Then I found this super cool video on how to make multiple dresses out of a man's dress shirt. Then I made myself a new dress.

2012 Shopping Diet

2012-01-03T18:41:00.001-08:00

By posting about it on this blog, I hereby commit to a 2012 Shopping Diet.

Here's the deal. I have a shit load of clothes. So many that I always feel the need to purge items. However, every time I purge, I rationalize that I can buy something new, since there is now more room in my closet, or dresser. So it's a stupid cycle of clearing my clutter, adding more shit, clearing more, adding more. I'm stopping that right now.

Why? Why not? I've been playing with the idea doing a wardrobe challenge for a few weeks now. Maybe something like a Capsule Challenge, like my friend Shelia did. She only had 5 pieces of clothing to wear for 7 days. Then I thought, go big, or go home. "Aim for the moon, even if you miss you end up in the stars". I've been really digging that quote lately. So that's what I'm going to do. Realistically if I can make it until Summer 2012 I'll feel really good. My goal is to actually get more creative with my current closet. If I happen to save some money doing it, that's just gravy.

The Rules
No purchasing of new clothing items allowed (with the exception of underwear and hosiery).
Thrifted items allowed but with a max of $20 per day.
Shopping can only happen on a Saturday.
Clothing swaps allowed but enter with caution.

I'm sure I will add more rules as I go. I'd like to disclose that I bought some last minute items before publishing this post. Don't worry, I didn't buy them to create an outfit. They are simply pieces I felt necessary for my wardrobe. Hell's yeah, sequin pants are necessary.

Recent Purchases by clearlyshopaholic featuring zipper jeans

I'm A Dangerous Driver

2011-11-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

On our way home from Grandma's birthday dinner, me, hubby, grandma, and Elle were in the car, I drove. While at an intersection I started to take my foot off the brake as I saw the light turn green. Of course the car in front of me hadn't started moving yet so hubby yells at me to stop the car. Elle, from the backseat yells, "Mom keep your eyes on the road!" She turns 3 in about a month. Precious, isn't she?

Shopping Online For Canadians

2011-11-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

I live in beautiful British Columbia. I wish I could say I lived in Vancouver, but the real estate is too expensive, so I settle for a cute house in Coquitlam. I am still close enough to the border though which is my first tip.

If you live close to a USA border TIP #1, for online shopping is open a US mailbox. There are many options. You can rent one monthly for about $50, or you can pay per piece you have delivered to that address. Use a US mailbox when shipping with a company that doesn't ship to Canada, or has prices clearly cheaper on their US site than their Canadian site. Also, if the cost difference to ship internationally versus domestically is huge, send it to the mail box.

The two companies I use are; TC Trading Company in Blaine WA, and Tsb Shipping Plus in Point Roberts WA. Most USA companies offer free shipping domestically, so the cost of renting a mailbox pays for it self pretty fast. The bonus with having a mailbox in the US, is that sometimes the border guard will let you cross the border without paying tax and duty. Boy does that make my day.

IMPORTANT NOTE - Make sure you let your credit card company know about the shipping address. Your credit card transaction might not be approved if the credit card company has no record of the shipping address.

TIP #2 - Find Canadian online retailers. Duh! It's easy to look across the border, but how about we support our own economy? These are my favorite Canadian online stores; Lululemon, Jacob, Gap, and Forever 21.

TIP #3 - Go to England, virtually that is! ASOS, and Top Shop are two of the most fashion forward, bestest sites that ship internationally. Also, their international shipping costs are way under $20. Why I love shopping there, because people always ask where I got my awesome coat, dress, pants, whatever. I love that no one, at least hardly anyone is wearing the same thing I am. Of course now everyone on my facebook is going to start shopping there and dressing like me. I still love them though.

TIP #4 - KNOW your fabrics. I love cotton, silk, wool. I kind of like polyester. I hate rayon. Whenever I buy clothes online I'm looking for fabric content. You can't touch things online, so you have to know what to expect. I'll spend a little bit more money for fabrics I love. If it's made of rayon I'll probably pass because rayon shrinks, and pills like crazy. Have you ever bought a nice rayon skirt, dress or tee shirt because it drapes so beautifully? Then you wash it three times and it looks like crap? I always regret rayon.

TIP #5 - Don't DRINK and shop online. Do I really need to explain?

I'll add more tips as I see fit. Happy shopping. Leave any questions you have in the comments section. I will blow your mind with how much I know on this topic.

Visiting Sechelt

2011-11-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

My friend Beth FINALLY got pictures from our weekend getaway off her camera. This was the first time since Elle was born that I did a night away from her. I've gone out, and come home late, but I've never actually left her for more than 12 hours. I left her with hubby for 2 whole days. It was a big deal. We all survived. Of course I spent most of the time wondering what they were doing, and if they missed me as much as I missed them. Pathetic I know!

None the less, I will definitely go away again with the girls. It was a simple trip, bed and breakfast, beach combing, pub food, wine, and hot tub. I think we painted our nails and fell asleep by 10pm.

Here are a few pictures of goofy fun at the beach.

Why You Need An Image Consultant

2011-11-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I hired an Image Consultant. Those of you that know me in real life are probably thinking what the hell? I know, I know, I'm into fashion, I went to design school, and I dress pretty well, why did I hire an Image Consultant?

Well, truth be told I felt like I needed to up my professional game a little. I was hired at my company when I was twenty one, and sometimes I think some of the execs still see me as a twenty one year old. Even though I'm thirty now, a mother now, and have successfully managed crucial parts of our business.

Prior to our first session Katherine, the image consultant, had me fill out a dozen personality surveys. Then we had a two hour discussion about the results of the survey. A huge light bulb went off when I realized all the things I wrote down on paper weren't actually the things I wanted at all. Katherine pointed out that on paper I wanted to fit in, go unnoticed. But the things that I was passionate about, my goals, my dreams, they were loud. I want to be noticed. Not for the having a super professional career, but for being me. I'm not a suit, and after this exercise I was OK with that.

The goal of hiring an consultant was to polish up my appearance, look more professional, and be more serious. The goal was stand in the manager meetings and feel like a key player. The result, was looking inside, and loving myself for who I was. I'm smart, caring, and compassionate. I value my relationships with my staff, and with my suppliers. I'm honest, and trustworthy. I don't need to be in a suit to have people respect me. They already do. And for those that don't, it's none of my business why.

Mommy You're Beautiful

2011-10-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

I woke my baby up this morning, and told her I loved her. She says all sleepy eyed, "I love you too mama. You're so beautiful". God I love my kid!

Camping Is a Great Activity for Kids

2011-09-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

On October 10th hubby, and I will celebrate 10 years of being together. Throughout our relationship he's always said that he wants us to be a camping family. I said yeah OK, but never thought we'd actually do it.

However, in the last year we have gone camping 3 times. I've gone to bed in the same underwear as the day before, I've gone 3 days without a shower, I've slept in a tent, I've gotten up to pee at midnight behind my tent, I've cooked over an open fire, I've pooped in an out house, I've stumbled drunk into my tent, and I've liked it.

On our last trip Elle unzips the tent door, looks around the forest, and exclaims, "Mom, it's so beautiful here."

I'm totally convinced we can be a camping family.

Small Town Summers

2011-09-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

We took a road trip to visit some friends in Northern BC. Hubby's best buds from University. I got to experience a real small town, like REALLY SMALL town, and I kind of liked it. I can see why people talk about raising kids in small towns. Kids can play on the front lawn, there's endless green space, the lakes are clean, and traffic moves slowly. Life is simple. That being said, I'd miss H&M, Sephora, and Thomas Haas too much to ever move away. I'm a city girl, and spoiled with all the luxuries of living in a big city. I could never give it up, but I'm not going to roll my eyes if hubby wants to do this vacation again.

My Breasts are Mine Again

2011-07-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago I put Elle to bed. When she reached for my nipple I whispered to her, "Sorry babe, no more mommy milk. You drank it all." She signed, "Oh no" closed her eyes, and went to to sleep.

FREEDOM!!!

It worked. At two and a half years old, I finally got her off my boob. I thought about weaning her at a year, when I went back to work, but I liked the closeness of breastfeeding at the end of a long day apart. It's always been manageable for the most part, so it didn't bother me too much that she was still on the boob at two years old. Even though other moms, my own mother, and women without kids were telling me that I needed to get her off.

The worse part about breastfeeding was everyone else's opinion about how long I should breastfeed for. You'd think they'd be in awe of my steady milk production. Sometimes I'd want to snide back, "I can't help that I have such a young, and fertile body".

I'll never, ever, ever tell another woman what I think about her breastfeeding. We're hard enough on ourselves as women, as mothers. It's not cool to be hard on each other.

Someday I'll Be A Mommy Blogger

2011-07-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

I started writing this blog on a regular basis during my mat leave, two and a half years ago... whoa! The purpose was to share my learning's about motherhood , and document some of Eloise's milestones.

Of course I dreamed my blog would take off, like so many mommy bloggers before me, and I'd make thousands of dollars writing articles for parenting magazines, and websites, but no such luck. It turns out I don't really care about parenting trends, educational trends, or coupons, or saving money (though I should, I REALLY should). I just want to talk about me and my daughter.

So here are some pictures of Elle. I'm a little disappointed in myself for taking so long to get them up.

First Hair Cut

Whistler BC

Being Beautiful

Playing with the neighbors ferret

Being a cheese ball

Online Shopping at Lululemon

2011-07-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

How did you find Lululemon?

I moved to Vancouver in 2001. Within 2 months I had two pairs of yoga pants. I’d never done yoga before that. I took it up about 1 year later. Lululemon is all over Vancouver. My favorite location is their Coquitlam Center one, because it’s right by my house.

I just realized they’re online so I had to buy something to report on their ecommerce process. Online shopping is critical to my success as an expert in ecommerce logistics and distribution. Remember my BHAG?

Were you happy with pricing?

I bought these pants. I think $98 is pretty good for a pair of Lulu pants. The fabric lasts forever. It’ll probably last even longer than normal as I actually plan on using these pants for lodging, not working out.

Were you happy with delivery?

My order shipped via FedEx Ground, and the shipping was free. I’m always happy when I see FedEx, and free shipping. I know the distribution center is in the lower mainland so even though FedEx Ground isn’t supposed to be as fast as FedEx Express, I knew I’d probably get my order within a day or two. I ordered Sunday night and got my package at my office Tuesday morning. I was a little bummed I didn’t get it Monday morning as I know some companies in the lower mainland are able to execute this.

Would you refer them to a friend?

Yes I would. The internet has changed the way I shop. If I don’t see my color or size in the store, I check online. That way I’m not hitting 2 or 3 stores to find what I need. I don’t have that kind of time. Ecommerce makes getting what you really want so easy. And that's how I got to buying these pants online.

If it was your company would you hire the person you dealt with?

I didn't deal with anyone. I got an email when I placed my order, and when it shipped. The package arrived when they said it would.

Rank them out of ten?

8 – Love the pants, love the customer reviews on the pants because I knew to order a size down, loved the free shipping, but I wasn’t wowed when I got the package. My beautiful Lulu pants were in a standard plastic shipping bag. I didn’t feel like it was as special a purchase, as I would have if I had bought them from an actual Lululemon store.

Was there anything they could have done to make the experience better?

Complete the shopping experience all the way to the door. Lululemon is an affordable luxury. I should feel that way from the minute I’m on the site to the moment I receive my package. I was so excited when our receptionist called me to say I got a package at the front desk. Then I got it, and it was... ok. I never feel just ok when I leave a Lululemon store with a purchase. I feel fantastic.

All Cambodians Love Angelina Jolie

2011-06-22T13:26:00.001-07:00

When one of Hollywood's most popular actors adopts a Cambodian orphan, and says she fell in love with our country, we're going to love her. No matter who Brad was married to when they started dating.

This is the photo she did for Louis Vuitton's Core Value Campaign. And I think it's working. I've never considered buying a Louis Vuitton bag, but now I really want one. I want one for my next journey in Cambodia.

Raising Kids to Be Entrepreneurs

2011-06-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

My boss suggested watching this clip today. I wish my parents forced me to put one pay cheque into saving while I was working part-time in high school. They trusted me to use my money responsibility. Big mistake.

Grow A Veggie Garden

2011-05-30T21:42:00.001-07:00

I've been pretty blue lately. I think it's being 30, which is totally dumb because I have a great hubby, lots of friends, a beautiful daughter, a house, good hair, and nice clothes. What more could any woman want?

Last October I picked up Oprah's magazine O. The edition was all about pursuing your passion. It's been in the back of my mind ever since then. I can't help but think I'm not pursuing my passion, and it's slowly killing me.

Okay, that was a bit dramatic. It's not killing me, but it has made me review every single decision I've ever made. When I look at the past though, it seems like everything happened the way it was supposed to.

If I start regretting stuff, then other really great stuff would have never happened. If I did that, I wouldn't have gotten married. He's wonderful, and it was a beautiful wedding so of course I don't regret it. If I had gotten that, I wouldn't have tried to have a baby. And she's amazing so I don't regret that at all. If I applied for that, I wouldn't have been promoted to Manager. My resume is stacked with all the experience I have, so I don't regret that either.

If, if, if... it doesn't matter. All that matters now is that I have choices. And it's good to have choices, because making a decision and committing to it is powerful.

This year I chose to plant vegetables. As soon as I made the decision to do that, I started prepping the soil. It baked all winter, as I killed off the grass with leaves, and cardboard.

Then I bought 4 cubic yards of rich soil, and added it to the plot of land where I had the leaves, and cardboard decomposing.

I planted cabbage, broccoli, zucchini , strawberry, and raspberry plants. I sowed carrots, onions, potatoes, kale, and chard. I water the plants, and the seeds everyday. After 3 weeks there is substantial growth.

It's amazing what happens when you make a decision, and carry it out. I could have bailed on the garden after two of my squash, and cucumber plants died, but I didn't. It was disappointing, but I could see that the rest of the garden could still thrive. It is, and I can't wait to see it continue.

So what am I telling myself, telling you? Plant a seed, and do little daily steps. Stuff grows when you do that. With a little care, and patience who knows what I'll have created by the end of the summer.

The WOW Event

2011-05-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

I spent my Saturday at the 7th Annual Women of Worth Conference.

Empowered Leadership
WOW is back and better than ever, with a powerful program that will WOW you.Get out of the boardroom and into the ballroom, and GET WOWED with world-class speakers, entertainment, food, fun, meaningful connections, inspiration and celebration at THE empowering event of the year.

It was a super inspiring day. The speakers weren't touchy feely feminists. They were smart, strong, funny business women, that showed off how awesome, and supportive their husbands were. I loved it. So much so that I bought two tickets for next year.

For the last few days I've been reflecting about how I'm a woman of worth, and where I want to continue to grow. I think you have probably noticed my posts have really been career focused lately. That's all I've been reading too. Penelope Trunk is my unofficial career coach at this moment. It must have something to do with turning 30. I think I'm going through a quarter life crisis. If I live to 120 that is. I really need to get to the next level. What is that though?

I realized as a woman of worth, I have choice. I control my destiny. Now I gotta figure out what that is.

I Love You BCBG

2011-04-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

How did you find BCBG?

In 2005 I walked into a BCBG store, tried on a dress, and fell in love. I've been buying dresses from BCBG ever since. I don't know when I realized they had an online store, but when I did, I stalked it, constantly.

Were you happy with pricing?

I think of BCBG as an affordable luxury. I don't buy all my clothes from there, but when I want something for a special event, I visit BCBG. I visit their online store more for eye candy than actual shopping. What drove me to my first online purchase was a 20% off sale, which I talked about here.

Were you happy with delivery?

I didn't upgrade my shipping, but I remember it showing up faster than expected. The package arrived in a plain brown box. When I opened it, I felt like I was getting a special present. My dress was in a gift box with a little brown ribbon holding it close. BCBG you sure have style. It was beautiful. I wish all packages arrived as beautifully as my BCBG purchase.

Would you refer them to a friend?

Totally. Buy something now!

If it was your company would you hire the person you dealt with?

I didn't deal with anyone. I got an email when I placed my order, and when it shipped. The package arrived when they said it would. Perfect e-commerce execution.

Rank them out of ten?

10 - The beautiful package was a surprise, and made me feel like a very special customer. And don't we all want to feel special?

Was there anything they could have done to make the experience better?

Give me my dress for free!

BHAG - Do You Have One?

2011-04-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Big Hairy Audacious Goal

I first heard the term from our company's CEO, but I think he stole it from James Collins or Lululemon. Basically, if there were no limits, what do you want for yourself. My BHAG professionally, is to own a business that allows me to travel, or work remotely. I don't know what that business looks like, all I know is that I want it, and everything I do for my career here on end has to line up with that goal.

This thought process allows to me to make small goals to get me to the BHAG. Right now I'm working towards more specialization in my field, logistics and transportation. Pretty sexy, eh?

What's your BHAG, and what are you doing to achieve it?

BHAG by clearlyshopaholic featuring folding wayfarer sunglasses

Journelle

2011-03-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

How did you find Journelle?

While I was in Miami, shopping on the Lincoln Mall strip, I found a pretty little lingerie store called Journelle. Their style is luxurious, classy, and elegant. I'm a huge fan of wireless bras, so I tried on every beautiful bra they had in my size. I don't remember seeing a padded, push up bra anywhere in the store. With my purchase I received a $20 off new customer appreciation coupon. As soon as I got home I found their website.

Were you happy with pricing?

I got $20 off a sexy wireless, nude Donna Karen bra. I'd never buy a $70 bra, but I thought $50 was okay to splurge for such a nice piece of lingerie. I paid an additional $12 in shipping. Though I didn't really have a choice. There are not many Journelle stores close by.

Were you happy with delivery?

I didn't upgrade my shipping like I usually do, so I kind of forgot I made the purchase. About a week later I got the bra delivered. It was a nice surprise. When I opened the box, they had wrapped it just the way they did when I made my purchase in Miami. It made me feel special that they took the extra time to do that.

Would you refer them to a friend?

I would refer a friend, but it's a pretty indulgent purchase. It's not cheap lingerie. It's very high end. Of course I will be forcing hubby to use it as a default for gift ideas in the future.

If it was your company would you hire the person you dealt with?

I didn't deal with anyone. I got an email when I placed my order, and when it shipped. The package arrived when they said it would.

Rank them out of ten?

10 - The online experience was just as special as the experience I had in-store. They were able to create the same feeling and vibe of the store with the package that arrived. They hardly ever happens.

Was there anything they could have done to make the experience better?

Free shipping :)

Infrequent Sales Increases Conversion

2011-03-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

There are a handful of brands that I lust after. I call them affordable luxuries. The pieces range from $150 to $500. It's not crazy expensive but not something I would tell my parents I spend money on. They include Coach, Micheal Kors, and BCBG. These brands suit my style, trendy but wearable. Every dress I've ever bought at BCBG can be worn seasons later. Well cut, and classic never go out of style. I'm always on their website drooling over the effortless looks. BCBG hardly ever goes on sale, so they totally got me this weekend with their Most Wanted Sale, 20% all items on their most wanted list. After adding it to my cart, abandoning my cart, adding it again, and really justifying it as an investment piece. I bought this. Don't tell my parents.

When Is It Time for Another Child

2011-03-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

When you start dating a great guy, everyone asks, "When are you gonna get serious?". When you get engaged, they ask, "When's the wedding?". After you get married, they ask, "When are you gonna have a baby?". After the first baby is born, they ask, "When are you gonna give her a sibling?".

I'm not gonna lie. During the first year we had Eloise, I couldn't imagine ever wanting another child. It was hard work. As much joy, and happiness she brought hubby and I, we were also slept deprived, bickering, and exhausted.

Well, we sleep better now. We're more connected, and more in sync with each other than we've been in years, and while I can see another baby in the future, I just don't want one any time soon. Elle isn't ready to be a big sister anyway. She snarled, "No" to me, the other day when I asked her if mommy should have another baby.

Career wise, I finally feel like I know what I want to do when I grow up, and having a child right now doesn't work with my plans. So no, I'm not going to have another baby soon. Stop asking.

When are you gonna have another baby?

How To Get Out Of A Work Funk

2011-02-23T19:45:00.000-08:00

I hate it when people complain about their jobs. My feeling is, if you hate it that much, quit. However, I do get that people can feel blue from time to time. Maybe you're not advancing fast enough, maybe you're not given enough projects, or maybe your raise wasn't as high as you expected. You don't want to quit over that stuff, but you've all of a sudden forgotten why you actually like your job in the first place.

This is what I would do, if I were in a funk.

1)List all the things about your job that you love
For me, I love that I have my own office. I love that our company culture supports working parents. Most of the exec team have missed one day or another to watch their kid in a hockey game, or play. I love the employee stock option program. I put in $100 of my pay cheque towards company stock, and the company matches it 100%. I love my health, and dental plan. I love that I have established meaningful friendships that will last me my whole life.

2)Google Jobs in Your Industry

Put your mind at ease, and check out what you think you might be missing. Most times there isn't much. While you're at it, you might as well update your resume too. Looking at other job descriptions is a great way to inventory all the skills, and attributes you've acquired since being at your job.

3)Be Thankful You Have A Job

A bright, hardworking girlfriend of mine was let go of her company, because of mass layoffs. The president, and district managers wrote her glowing references. She would have preferred to have just kept her job.

4)Dress Better
A wise friend once told me, that you need to dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Maybe jeans, and runners are perfectly acceptable at your office. But do you want to be a jeans, and runners CEO? I don't. Though, one time I did see a highly esteemed CEO of a local apparel company, visiting our office in a track suit, and flip flops. I always feel like a million bucks when I look better than the other guy standing beside me.

5)List Everything Wonderful In Your Life
I have a great husband. He annoys me from time to time, but I adore him anyway. And he's good to me. I have a healthy, smart, loving child. Recently, Elle has gotten into the habit of throwing her arms around my face, and whispering, "I love you mum". How cool is that? It makes me so happy to hear those words, coming out of that mouth. I have a fantastic group of girlfriends. Thank you Sex and the City, for inspiring women everywhere to spend time with their girlfriends. If I learned anything from Carrie, and the girls, it's that you need girlfriends in every phase of your life, so cherish them, love them, and treat them well.

I'm outta my funk now. How about you?

My Wish To You

2011-02-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

I had the misfortune of firing a pretty likable employee some years ago. Long story short he was caught lying numerous times, and I couldn't trust him anymore. I hated him for putting me in such a lame position, but instead of getting mad, I put my energy into a poem. Because that is just how awesome I am.

My wish to you
A dozen new clients
Tears of joy
Never ending love
Peace and devotion
Hard work paying off
A new car
A feeling in your heart
That everything is going to be alright
My wish to you
Forgiveness and graciousness
My wish for me
Humbleness and mercy

Happy Birthday

2011-02-07T23:25:00.000-08:00

We celebrated a lot of birthdays recently. Elle's, and hubby's in December. Mine, and Auntie Nika's in January. Elle's bbf in December, and Grandma just had hers in the beginning of February. So inevitably Elle's favorite song right now is Happy Birthday. Except she sings her own name, instead of the birthday persons'. She assumes only the person mentioned in the song gets to blow out a candle, and have a piece of cake.

American Apparel Review

2011-02-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

How did you find American Apparel?

I frequent the American Apparel stores in my city all the time. I love the concept of stylish basics, USA designed, and manufactured, but the prices are pretty high for the quality. That being said, they're usually the first to have on trend basics. For example, I went online to look for basic thigh high socks, and found them.

Were you happy with pricing?

Surprising yes. I got a 3 pack for $33.

Were you happy with delivery?

Not at all. I paid $20 for "Express" shipping. American Apparel split shipped my order. Even though it was a 3 pack online, the socks shipped individually. Kind of a waste. I got my first shipment about 5 days after placing my order, and the second part of my shipment 3 days after that. I should have just left it as regular delivery.

Would you refer them to a friend?

I wouldn't tell friends to shop online. I'd tell them to just go to the brick, and mortar store.

If it was your company would you hire the person you dealt with?

I didn't deal with anyone, but I was pretty close to calling the call center, or sending an email. Firstly, I never got an email confirmation that my order went through. I checked my credit card to see that there was a charge from American Apparel. That was the only way I knew they got my order. I didn't get a shipped confirmation for the first shipment either. I did get a shipped confirmation for the second shipment, which was really confusing, because it showed that only part of my order shipped. At the time I had no idea they were split shipping. I thought they made a mistake packing my order, and I was going to have to deal with it when my package arrived.

Rank them out of ten?

5... Site was good, and the check out process painless, but they lost me as an online customer because I had no idea what was happening with my order the entire time.

Was there anything they could have done to make the experience better?

If the check out page says you're going to send me an email confirmation, send it to me. If you're going to split ship my order, let me know. Don't call it "Express Shipping" if I'm not going to get the entire order within 2 days.

The Daycare Nightmare

2011-02-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Elle has been in full-time Daycare for a month now. Every morning for two weeks she cried when I dropped her off. As soon as Nana opened the door, Elle would burst into tears. When I got home from work, I'd ask her what she did at daycare, and she'd say, "I cry". It was awful. I felt like the worse mother ever. After a few days I realized she was a little liar. Nana sent me pictures throughout the week of her laughing, and playing.

Wait take a picture of us crying, not smiling! I'm trying to guilt my mom.

Will Sasso's Man Tips

2011-01-27T18:57:00.000-08:00

My buddy Tanya posted this on her facebook. It's a collection of Will Sasso's Man Tips that he's been posting on twitter. I haven't laughed so much in a while. A couple of my favorite tips:

# 1 - Women love compliments, so be sure to let one know if she’s responsible for your boner.

# 59 - If you have an ear piercing wide enough to stick a dick through it, someone should stick their dick through it.

I made a list of Woman Tips of my own.

# 1 - If you're invited to dinner with a girlfriend and her spouse is there, don't pay more attention to him than her. Because she's thinking what a stupid whore you are.

# 2 - If you don't like your job, then quit. You're a grown woman. No one is forcing you to be there.

# 3 - Pay your damn bills. The longer you wait for a man to come along and take care of it, the older you're going to get, and the less attractive you're going to become.

# 4 - No you don't need new shoes. Buy them because you want them.

#5 - Don't complain about your weight, if you're not hitting the gym or exercising, fatty.

What do you think?

ASOS Review

2011-01-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

How did you find ASOS?

I set up a profile at Boutiques.com, which is like having your own personal shopper. You select your style, likes and dislikes, and the site suggests items from various online stores that match your preferences. My suggestions kept linking me to ASOS.com so I checked it out.

Were you happy with pricing?

I think the pricing is perfect for my budget, and online shopping habits. Tops, dresses, and pants ranged from $50 to $100. I don't like spending over $100 on an item I've never tried on. The only time I spend that kind of money on clothes, is if it's jeans. I've never met a size 26 I didn't like.

Were you happy with delivery?

Sort of. I paid $12 extra for Overnight Shipping. I wanted it faster than regular shipping, even though that was free. However, I didn't get my package until 4 days later. It was shipped overnight from the UK, even though I placed my order on their US site. Kind of a bummer. 4 days isn't overnight.

Would you refer them to a friend?

I told all my friends where I got my sexy new black dress, and retro gold watch. The items was just as cute on me, as they were the 6' model on the website.

If it was your company would you hire the person you dealt with?

I didn't have to deal with anyone. The website was easy to use, and navigate. Their sorting function rocked, because it loaded so fast. I never wondered what was going on with my order, because I got 3 notification emails during the process; order placed, order payment approved, order shipped with a tracking number.

Rank them out of ten?

9... only because the site kept showing me items it thought I would like, that were no longer in stock. It was annoying because I really did like the suggestions.

Was there anything they could have done to make the experience better?

Same as previous point.

I Am 30 Years Old Now

2011-01-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

My 30th birthday came, and went like a fart in the wind, as my friend Sabrina would say. It was a little bit of a joke, but I wanted to have dinner at the Sandbar, notorious cougar joint, also one of the best places for Seafood in Vancouver. What a perfect place to launch my new era. Dinner was fab, drinks were good, DJ was cool, and the people watching, amazing.

Everyone went home drunk and sound. I woke up with a cold, but I wouldn't have changed a thing.

I'm A Poet Don't Cha Know It

2011-01-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

I found the poem I wrote when I turned 26. Saturday is my 30th birthday.

26 years of laughter

Art and design

Aiming to please

Trying to impress

Breaking hearts

Putting my foot in my mouth

Loving and cuddling

Building and learning

Stopping to take note

Dancing with friends

Dancing alone

Puking too much fun

How to Be A Good Wife and Mother

2011-01-11T22:49:00.000-08:00

There's nothing more fabulous to me than spending Saturday morning sitting with my tea , hubby and baby, surfing my favorite online stores. Hubby's on his own laptop and baby is reading a book. And when I say reading a book, I really mean watching a Disney movie. Her favorite right now is Robin Hood.

I've been shopping online for years. My first experience was with New Balance. I went to my local New Balance store, and fell in love with some runners. I don't run, but these were going to look so cute on my feet. The problem was they didn't have a 7.5. I had just gotten a job with an online company, so I went home, and googled "New Balance online store". There it was, and a new shopping method was born.

I used to shop online for items that I couldn't get locally, but now it's all about how I want to spend my precious time. I work 40 hours a week. I get home, make dinner, play with my daughter, put her to bed, and I'm pretty much ready to hit the sack myself shortly after.

On the weekends, I like taking it easy. One event either on Friday night, or Saturday night is all I can handle. Besides that, I just want to chill, take a walk, or cuddle on the couch with my baby. Walking through a mall, or boutiques crowed with people is not my idea of taking it easy. Besides, the mall and boutiques are no place for a toddler. When I take Elle there, I just want to get the f*ck out. She is a really lame shopping partner. She refuses to spend more than 2 minutes in clothing stores, but will take her sweet ass time in a toy store.

So I shop online. It makes hubby happy because he doesn't have to wait for me to decide between this black dress, or the other black dress. I can take as long as I like deciding what to buy on my computer, while he surfs on his computer. It makes baby happy because she doesn't have to spend hours in a stroller. She can spend hours watching Disney movies instead. Everyone is so happy.

I've decided in 2011 to document all my online shopping experiences. Here is a peek at some of the purchases I've made lately. There will be posts to follow for each store. Yes, I've bought 4 pairs of thigh high socks. I very excited to wear them.

Latest Buys by clearlyshopaholic featuring cable socks

ASOS | ASOS Slash Neck Lace Body Con Dress at ASOS
45 GBP - asos.com
Lace dresses »

(3-Pack) Opaque Over-the-Knee Cable Knit Sock
$39 - americanapparel.net
Cable knit socks »

ASOS Wool Mix Cable Over Knee Socks
$10 - asos.com
Cable socks »

ASOS Retro Style Digital Watch On Expander Strap
$34 - asos.com
Strap watches »

Donna Karan Luxe Wire-Free Demi bra - Wireless Bras - Bras
$67 - journelle.com

How I Jump Start My Day

2011-01-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

Every morning before work, I check out Louise Hay's daily affirmation. It usually sets my mood for the day. It makes me feel like I can do anything I put my mind to. Yesterday's was awesome, "The ocean of life is lavish with its abundance". I know it means that all the opportunities of the world are open to me, but I really feel like Louise is telling me to go shopping.

Is This What I Am When I Grow Up?

2011-01-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

In high school I thought I'd be a business woman when I grew up. I didn't really know what kind of business, but I knew I'd have a briefcase, and all the right answers. And I'd yell, "F*ck, just get me a coffee", to my idiot assistant. Nobody taught us about HR in high school.

Well, I don't have an idiot assistant, and even if I did, yelling at them isn't as glamorous as I imagined. But I am grown up now. I have an office job. I work for a very successful company. I have manager at the end of my title. I can afford my mortgage, childcare, and a designer denim obsession. I think I grew up OK, but I want more.

Instinctively, more means bigger, better, and expensive things. But I'm trying to put my ego in check, and figure out happiness beyond money. Yeah money makes me very happy, but I'm looking for something Wayne Dyer would be proud of.

Career wise I've got a few plans for this year, complete my business management certificate, write a novel, blog more, and do fulfilling work. In my personal life I just want to continue enriching my relationships.

I'm grown up now, and I feel like there's still a lot of growing to do.

Top 10 Things I Accomplished This Year

2010-12-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

So long 2010, it’s been swell. I had a pretty great year. Developing minor arthritis sucked, but I found a really great homeopath, and have managed to live pretty normally with it, and without taking any drugs. Arthritis aside, these are my top accomplishments.

I went back to work!

It’s a big deal. It meant leaving my 1 year old for over 8 hours a day and trusting my sister/nanny to raise her to be a smart healthy toddler, which she is. Thanks Nika!

I Bought A House

After ten years of renting in Vancouver, we bought a house, out in freakin’ Coquitlam, but I love it. Love the space, love the yard, love the trees in the back, love that I rarely see my neighbors. And especially love that it’s mine.

Went to 5 Weddings

Yes I count this as a huge accomplishment. Weddings are exhausting. And when you’ve got a 1 and half year old that doesn’t sit still, it’s even tougher. We made it though, ate great food, and watched our friends make beautiful commitments to each other.

Taught my daughter to count to 10

Nanny probably helped a lot with this, but since Elle is my daughter I will take full credit for everything that she does, for better or for worse. She counted to 10 on her own before she was two. That’s a big deal.

Taught my daughter Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Ok another Nanny accomplishment, but I picked the nanny so again full credit to me. It’s even cuter when Elle is trying to sleep and she breaks into Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to try to soothe herself to sleep.

Had lots of fun with my husband

I don’t need to say what kind of fun, but we had lots of it.

Went to Miami Bitch

I guess went to Miami with an almost two year old was the accomplishment. We survived 4 plane rides, half a dozen restaurants and boutiques with an ants in her pants toddler. All she wanted to do was run away and hide from us. Perhaps she’s telling us something.

Started working out

A very big deal because I don’t work out. I’m blessed with a good metabolism but I really needed to develop more muscle mass to continue functioning, hence arthritis development. I took it on hard core by signing up for my friend Hannah’s Fit Jam class. She kicked my ass every Sunday for 6 weeks. I hated her at the beginning of class all perky, and bouncy, full of encouragement as I huffed, and puffed trying to get through the cardio warm-up. But as I felt my arms, and legs get stronger, and stronger by the end of class she was my friend again.

Carpooled

Not everyone can carpool. I did it with my sister. How we survived, we listened to music the whole drive. If you have to carpool, do it with someone that doesn’t want to talk to you either.

Spent time with my friends

As a woman on mat leave in 2009, I really wanted to stay close to my pals, so I made sure I connected with friends at least a once a month. It’s hard to do because life moves so fast, and sometimes a month goes by, and I hadn’t seen anyone. Friendships are valuable to me, and making time for them is super important.

Though, under horrible circumstances I am so thankful that I was able to spend time with my friend Jodie, whose mom passed away from cancer this summer. It’s situations like these where all the coffee dates, shopping trips, and dinners out that happened before and after really count. Sometimes I think we only hook up with friends during dire times. It’s being with them through the happy times too that make getting through the heavy stuff easier.

So that’s my list. I feel really full and thankful for this year. It was a big deal, and I think 2011 is gonna be even better. What’s your top accomplishment? What are you proud of this past year?

Daddy Sucks

2010-11-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

We were driving around today, me, hubby and Elle, looking for something to eat. Hubby said to Elle that he needed some "daddy snacks". She shouted back with enthusiasm, "Daddy snacks!". Only it didn't sound like "snacks", it sounded more like "sucks". Imagine how many times I got her to say, "Daddy sucks".

Brag Book

2010-11-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

I've spoken about this before. There are many things I vowed I wouldn't do as a mom, but now find myself eating those words. I promised myself I'd never, ever, ever brag about my daughter.

How lame is it when you're at a dinner party and some asshole corners you, and starts talking about their kid. Who the f*ck cares. Ya, kids are cute. I'm sure yours is great, but seriously shut up and pass me a sausage roll.

Well, let me tell you what Elle did the other day. Remember she turns two in December. She's not even two years old yet! Amongst me, hubby, three aunts and an uncle she started counting the polka dots on a new step stool, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!"

Ten! My baby counted to ten. How cool is that? Isn't she awesome? I see a mathlete in my future.

Fall In Love

2010-11-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

The days are getting shorter, it's cold out, it rains a lot because I live in Vancouver, and I commute to work via a highway. Things couldn't be more gloomy. But as I look through pictures of the last couple of weeks, I'm reminded of how awesome this time of year can be too.

I love fall. I love the fall collections at Holt Renfrew. I love the orange and red tones the leaves turn. I love driving into work with hubby, and talking about how amazing our daughter is. I love my daughter, and doing all the fun fall things you get to do.

Last week, I raked the leaves into a pile in the background yard. At only 23 months, she instinctively knew she had to run, and jump into it. And one of my favorite things to do during the fall, visiting the pumpkin patch. What's cuter than watching your pumpkin sit on a pumpkin?

I lie... Am I wrong?

2010-10-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

Eloise is still hooked on the mama milk. I don't mind it too much. It's a perfect way for us to catch up when I get home from work. She snuggles in my arms, looks up at me with her big brown eyes, and I ask her about her day.

However, I am always looking for creative ways to get her off my boob, and onto another satisfying drink. The latest success has been almond milk, except I call it "ice cream milk". The little monster downs it like it actually has sugar. Ha, ha, sucker.

I Am Alive

2010-10-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Long time no blog. But I needed to share my great news. My company has a blog, and I recently signed on to be a contributor. My title is Community and Lifestyle Correspondent, hehe. This is on top of my regular Transportation Manager responsibilities but I'm super excited, and my creative juices have just been going bananas.

Here's my mug for site. I'll keep you posted on any articles that maybe of interest.

To Answer the Question - Does This Baby Make My Ass Look Fat?

2010-09-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not my ass, but my belly is getting soft, and I might as well blame it on the baby. I conquered a flat mid section this summer. I wore a bikini twice... I think..., and looked pretty good. However, lately my gut is kind of soggy looking.

I've just discovered the joy of baking. I've made two types of cookies, and three types of muffins. The muffin recipe I used last night included banana, sliced almonds, and nutmeg. It was heaven. In my belly muffins!

So why is this Elle's fault? It's not so much her fault, as it is a direct bi-product of being a working mom. I don't have very much alone time these days, so I lavish any chance I get to stay up late, and putter. Last night I put my baby to slept, kissed hubby goodnight, and mixed up a batch of muffins, threw them in the oven, and cleaned up the house, as I waited for them to bake.

I have a new rule now. Never clean unless you have something baking in the oven. It's like getting a prize for doing the house work. And my other new rule, a set of crunches for every muffin I eat.

Sweet Find

2010-09-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

I just got some pictures of Elle from a friend. He took them at the last wedding we were at.

Not A Baby Anymore

2010-09-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

People tell me all the time, "They grow up so fast." Yeah, yeah, I know. But every once in a while I look at my baby, and she's matured, 1000% times more since the day before.

With her new maturity, comes an interesting new rationale. She refused lunch from her Auntie yesterday. Simply pushed the food aside, and sweetly smiled, "No. Ice-cream?"

The Girl Loves Shoes

2010-08-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

I joked that if I had a daughter, I would call her Lil' Kim (my name is Kim btw, I don't know if I've mentioned that). Well, my dream came true, and I have created a little diva in my own image. Her name is Eloise. She likes everything her way, she insists on doing it herself (whatever it is, she can do it, thank you very much!), she loves hugs, her daddy, and wearing high heeled shoes.

Summer Loving

2010-08-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went to our 5th, and final wedding celebration for the summer. We did 1 wedding in June, 2 in July, and 2 in August. And in between that we moved house, and unpacked. I'm telling you, I am ready to do nothing for the next few weekends.

Of course the great thing about weddings are the countless photo ops you get. Here is one of my favorites. I love candid shots. Especially of my baby.

A Song by Kina Grannis

2010-08-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this song, and planning to learn the guitar so I can sing it to Eloise on Valentine's Day. I can't play guitar, not a note but to be able to do this is gonna be awesome. And I can't really sing either, only after a couple of drinks can I really belt out songs. OMG, I am a mother, aren't I? The totally embarrassing kind. Oh well.

Words

2010-07-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Eloise has had a steadily growing vocabulary for the last month. I am so proud. She's really good with "B" words, ball, bee, baby, bye-bye, and my favorite, boobies. I know, I know, teaching my child such a silly word, what kind of mother am I? Easily amused, that's what.

Mother Nature Knows How to F*ck With Me

2010-07-07T17:19:00.001-07:00

Summer took awhile to show up, here on the West Coast. It was taking so long, that I bought Eloise 4 new, full body sleepers this past weekend. Nights have been especially cold, and the little lady kicks off blankets.

However, now that I'm sitting out in the sun, burning my ass off because it's on the pavement, the radio says we're going to have a heat wave.

I guess I'll add the sleepers to Eloise's winter clothing pile.

Unpacking Sucks And Breaking New Furniture Is Worse

2010-07-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

We moved last Saturday. I hadn't moved in 8 years, and now I know why. Where did all this shit come from? I've been unpacking for days, and I swear there's more cardboard boxes here than there was loaded in the moving truck.

To top it off, the light at the end of the tunnel burnt out for me this morning. Our new house has a 9 x 7 foot den, that hubby suggested I use as my closet. I was finally going to unpack my clothes, after I built all my Ikea furniture. However, after spending 3 hours putting together the Botne wardrobe, I went to stand it up right, and the damn thing fell over, and broke apart. The screws broke the particle board. It is not salvageable. I was pissed and tried.

So I just did what I should have done in the first place, I contacted some custom closet installers. I will spend more money, but at least I can put my clothes away.

A Dolphins Fan

2010-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hubby is a Miami Dolphins Fan. He loves them win, or lose. I never watched NFL football before we dated, so I inherited them as my team as well. Hubby is on Fin Heaven any chance he gets. He's actually the one that inspired me to blog, as I realized people will read just about anything online.

So of course, our off spring were to destined to be Dolphins Fans. At 18 months, hubby has taught Eloise to kiss the Dolphin's logo, whenever she sees it; on daddy's hoodie, on daddy's t-shirt, and in his draft magazine. It's very cute. And when she sees their division rival, the Buffalo Bills' logo, she smacks it with her hand. We all laugh now, but I'm bracing myself for the day she sees a kid on the playground, wearing a Bill's t-shirt, and punches him, or her in the gut. Can you tell this is our first child?

She Looks Like Me Too!

2010-06-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

I have a beautiful daughter. She is so freakin' cute, I want to cry. So being the narcissist, that I am, it really gets under my skin, I'm being a tad dramatic, that people always say that she looks just like my husband. I admit, he's a good looking man, but the little mouth, the wide round eyes, those are mine.

If you look closely at the picture in the background, you'll see me at age 2, sitting in my dad's lap. Eloise looks just like me when I was her age. I'll try to get a copy of that picture on my blog, so you can see for yourself.

Would anyone else take offense? Or am I really that vain?

The Sweetest Thing

2010-06-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

All of sudden, Eloise's language skills have just taken off. At 18 months she can sign cracker, milk, bird, more, thank you, please, and of course, hat. She can say daddy, kitty, bubbles, bye, ball, Buddha, bath, roar, and my favorite, mum.

It is so sweet to hear her say mum. Her mouth curls at the sides trying to hide her smile. There's a twinkle in her eye, like she knows it makes me so happy.

Do You Like My New Template

2010-06-15T21:36:00.001-07:00

I have a brain freeze. So I just spent 2 hours playing with the new template feature on Blogger. What did people do to waste time before the internet?

I will have something cute and funny to say tomorrow. I promise.

We Bought A House!

2010-06-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

In less than a month, we will be moving to the suburbs. The house is about 30 years old, but the people that own it, took great care of it, so it's move in ready. We don't even need to repaint the walls. There's a huge backyard for Eloise to run around in.

She pretty much picked the house. The first time we entered it, she just started walking around the place, like it was her own. She usually needs half an hour, to get comfortable in a new setting. When we took her into the backyard, we were ready to make an offer. Eloise ran up and down the lawn, pointing out flowers, and rocks, and giggling.

I'm super psyched about it and can't wait to blog about Eloise's adventures there.

Her Favorite Things

2010-05-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

Other than reading my own witty banter, I thought a blog would be great to record some of Eloise's milestones. So here's a list of her favorite things in her life so far.

Dogs - She loves dogs. Watching them run, barking at them, and petting them. It's cutest thing to watch her smile as soon as she spots one.
Finger Food - She loves feeding herself. If she can hold it, there's a likelihood she'll eat more of it. Sausages, perogies, crackers, cookies (don't tell dad), chicken nuggets, an apple core (I leave tons of apple attached, it's easier for her to handle an apple if I shave it down a bit), and berries. She's a berry monster, but out of all the things a kid could love eating, I pretty psyched that her vice is berries.
Pointing out my nose - Every morning for the last week I've woken up to her poking me in the nose smiling and asking, "Wuztha?".
Saying Daddy - I would normally have a jealous outraged comment for this, but today when I came home from work she let out a couple of "mom"s. For months though, she's been singing, "da-dee, da-dee" all through the house. It's hard to be mad when it sounds so sweet.
Cuddling on the Couch - I have a couch potato on my hands. She may have learned that one off her parents. We snuggle on the couch and watch a show, while she places her head right under my armpit. It fits perfectly there. And then a funny part on the show happens, and she looks up at me like, "Did you get that mom? That was so funny!".

I'm pretty sure Eloise is the cutest baby ever. And if she isn't, she's definitely my favorite.

Moving To The Burbs

2010-04-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago, I was an urban mom, pushing my urban baby, in my urban stroller, through hip and trendy Vancouver. I was so, Sex and The City Mom. This weekend I'm looking forward to house hunting in the suburbs. OMG, yeah tell me about it.

My baby needs a yard, and our money can only buy us something good out in the burbs. We've thought about all the different ways to buy a home in Vancouver, but when it comes down to it, we want a house, we want dirt, a plot of land of our very own, to do whatever the hell we want on it, without needing permission from any strata.

So high ho, high ho, it's off to the burbs we go. Luckily, the mall out there is home to the new Sephora, and an H&M.

A Wonderful Communicator

2010-04-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

Eloise has been taking Sign Language classes since she was about 9 months old. I did the first session with her while I was still on Mat Leave, and my sister/nanny just finished another session with her recently.

There are many studies that suggest Sign Language is a great tool for babies to communicate with before they start taking. Basic signs for milk, eat, sleep, and more show up in a lot of the kiddie programing on TV.

So image how proud I was, when Eloise started using her first sign.... hat. Yup, hat. She doesn't tell me if she wants milk, or more, or if she's tired, but she'll tell me, by patting her head, that she sees a hat. Probably, the most useless sign for her to pick up but I don't care. That's my girl!

Skinny Bitches

2010-03-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

I went out for a catch up lunch with two of my mommy buds. One of the mom's and I are still breastfeeding, either because we're wimps, or martyrs, I haven't decided which yet.

The bi-product of breastfeeding beyond a year, is that I'm skinny now, and I don't really work out. Of course I'm totally weak, and useless too. I can't open a jar of pickles to save my life. I talked about how even though I can fit into my size 25 jeans, I'm not feeling shit hot. My other non-breastfeeding mommy bud told me to shut the fuck up.

It Is A Good Idea To Go Out On A Weeknight

2010-03-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hubby was reading the Georgia Straight this past weekend, and found that my one of my favorite pop bands is coming to town, Dragonette. They're playing Wednesday night, doors open at 8pm. Before I finished thinking about what if, I didn't have a baby to breastfeed to bed, and what if, I didn't have to work in the morning, he suggested I go.

Me: Huh? What? Really I should go? Do you think? What about Eloise? What about work in the morning?

Him: GO!

He knows me better than I know myself. Or maybe he just doesn't want me to complain about how I missed another fun event because I'm such a selfless, devoted mother. I bought tickets this morning so I couldn't change my mind. OK not as devoted after all. Wish me luck.

What Do I and Elderly Fat Men Have in Common...

2010-03-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

I went to see a doctor, after waking up two days straight with a swollen and painful right foot. I hadn't done anything to cause it injury. The doctor told me it was Gout. I looked up Gout on Google while he wrote me a prescription. Gout mainly appears in elderly people and alcoholics.

According to Wiki I have it because I'm producing too much Uric Acid, or my bloodstream isn't getting rid of it fast enough. So the Uric Acid settles in the tissue of certain joints, commonly the big toe, and crystallizes, ew, hardens, and causes pain.

I got a $15 prescription of pills, and am feeling 100% better. To avoid another Gout attack I need to stay away from the red meat, and alcohol.

I'm A Survivor

2010-02-18T21:43:00.000-08:00

Eloise was so distraught the first week I went back to work, that she made herself throw-up all night Tuesday. I stayed at home with her on Wednesday. She wasn't well until the weekend. That was the longest week of my life.

There were no illnesses making me feel guilty about being a working mom, on the second and third week, so they flew by quickly. And now I think I'm finally back in the swing of things.

However, I'm still trying to get used to wearing high heels again. I'm going to invest in some Dr Schol's insoles.

Good-bye Mommy Brain

2010-01-31T13:26:00.000-08:00

I go back to work, tomorrow. OMG! People have been asking me how I feel about it. My general response is, "Excited, because I really need to start exercising my brain."

I didn't realize how dumb I'd gotten this year, until yoga class yesterday.

I've been taking yoga on Tuesday nights for the past 4 months. It's been great for my body, and an awesome excuse to leave the house without my baby. However, since I'm going back to work, I figured that I might actually want to spend evenings, after work, with my child. So when I signed up for my next series of classes, I decided to do a weekend class, Saturdays 1pm to 2pm.

At the first class we started a little late, because of new registrants, signing of waivers, and payment processing. To my surprise, the instructor went an hour over. I guess it was to make up for the late start. I had only paid for an hour parking, so I was a little nervous when I walked out to the car. The Universe gave me a free pass though, because I didn't get a ticket.

Yesterday was my second class. I parked in a one hour zone just outside the yoga studio. That's just enough time to get in and get out. We started on time, so I figured I had nothing to worry about.

It was 1:50pm, almost the end of class. Usually we start doing a gentle pose, and get ready for mediation. The instructor put us in a shoulder stand. I started thinking about my parking. Seriously, was she going to go over every week? Didn't she know we had lives? Didn't she know, that I don't have all the time in the world, to freakin' do yoga? Didn't she know, that I had a baby I needed to get back to? Didn't she know, that the only parking spots close to the studio are one hour parking! I looked around the class, and wondered why I was the only one pissed. I didn't want to wreck the free extended yoga class for everyone, by asking her what the deal was, so I quietly packed up, and left.

On my way out of the studio I looked on the schedule, just to make sure I was right about the class length. I wasn't. I had signed up for a 1pm to 3pm class, not a 1pm to 2pm class.

I went home, and emailed my instructor an apology for walking out of her class. She emailed me back saying it was fine, and that if I wanted to make up the hour I lost, I could.

Nanny, Where Have You Been All My Life

2010-01-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

Everything about childcare is scary; trying to get information on it, registering for it in time, choosing the right option, and paying for it.

As soon as Eloise was born, veteran moms were asking me if I had looked into childcare yet. My immediate response was, "Uh... no..."

I panicked for a few months, as I researched childcare in my city. Note, Eloise wasn't even 3 months old at this point.

Then one day, I was talking to my sister, Nika. She wanted a huge change in her life. I joked that she should just move in with us, and be our nanny, after all, she's great with kids. She paused, and said "Yes."

I go back to work February 1st, but Nika started two weeks ago so she can learn on the job, while I'm still around. That means Nika is feeding, bathing, and entertaining Eloise, while I keep myself busy doing stuff like organizing my closet, cleaning the bathroom, and writing my blog.

And since this is my birthday week, on top of the regular chores, I've scheduled a few self indulgent things to do, like visiting the Spa, making a birthday wish list, planning a girls night out, and making reservations for date night.

God, did I clean my house at all before Nanny showed up?

In Yo Face

2010-01-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Hubby's mom recently gave us a bottle of Fairy Mist. It's an Aromatherapy spray that is supposed to calm baby's down. I spray the living room in the evenings with it, before Eloise goes to bed. If she's cranky, I'll spray a couple of mists around her. It seems to work. The directions read;

From deep within the garden, the Aroma Fairies have gathered this delightful blend to gently calm and soothe children of all ages. Spray mist above your child's head.

One day, when Eloise was super upset, crying, crawling away from me, then crawling back to me wanting to be picked up, then pushing me away because she really didn't want to be picked up, Hubby asked how he could help.

I said, "Grab the fairy mist."

He came into the room, spray head pointed right at Eloise's face, ready to pull the triger. Before he could I yelled, "You're not going to spray it at her face, are you?" He paused.

He totally was going to spray her in the face. Apparently, during a crisis Fairy Mist becomes Bear Spray.

Counting Down to the New Year

2009-12-31T14:16:00.000-08:00

After a week of clearing out the clutter, (there is still a lot of freakin' clutter in our house), spending time with my parents, hosting 3 birthday parties, (Hubby's was on the 24th, and Eloise had two parties, one in Victoria and one in Vancouver), and making Christmas dinner, I can't wait to ring in the New Year on our friend's big comfy couch.

We're spending this evening with long time friends, who drank the cultural kool-aid, and decided to have kids too. They have an adorable 4 year old, who loves being a big sister to her little sister Emiko, and our little Eloise.

My goal tonight is to relax. If I make it to midnight, and manage to drink a few glasses of wine, that'll be a bonus. Last year, I was in bed with hubby, a newborn between us, woke up at 11:55pm, just in time to say "Happy New Year", and fell back asleep.

When I think about how this night has changed for me over the years, I smirk and remember that exactly 10 years ago, I snuck into a 19 and over New Year's party, where the theme was along the lines of Burning Man, and danced my ass off.

You Love Me? You Really Love Me?

2009-12-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

As many of you in the blogosphere know, it is hard being clever, and witty all the time. So I'm not, which is why I don't blog all the time.

But to all my fans, you know who you are, that keep telling me to blog more because I write funny shit, thank you, thank you, for your kind words, for your support, and for your childlike faith that writing good shit comes easy to me.

All Mine

2009-12-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

I'm totally blown away that my baby is almost a year old. Her birthday is exactly 2 weeks away. Last year at this time, Eloise was still in my belly. Today, she started walking. I look at her sometimes, and ask, "Where the hell did you come from? Who are you? What did you do to my life?". She usually giggles, and smiles a super sinister smile, and I realize that she is indeed, really mine. After all, it was my vagina she came out of.

Hubby Drinks Too Much

2009-12-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

Hubby drinks too much, coffee that is. He has two cups of coffee a day. On the weekend, he treats himself to a venti first thing in the morning, and then an afternoon tall.

Usually, he can handle all that coffee, but this morning he had his tall about an hour after his venti.

All high on caffeine, and irritated by the Christmas traffic, he walked into HMV looking for the regular CD section, while pushing our screaming baby in the stroller. HMV had moved all the sections around. The order of things made no sense, not that it ever does. After 20 minutes of walking around the first floor swearing, and sweating, Hubby realized that all the CD's had been moved to the 2nd floor. Before I could point out the elevator, Hubby grabs the stroller at either end, (baby inside) and stomps up the escalator.

Shocked, and humiliated that I was married to the Hunk, I followed him up the escalator praying we land safely.

Can I Hate Someone Else's Baby?

2009-11-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hate is a strong word I know. But seriously, today I had to hold back the urge to to yell profanities at a little boy.

There is a drop in center in my neighbour, where parents/caregivers can bring children aged 3 months to 5 years old, to interact and play with other kids. They have a painting station, a castle, and a mini Ikea kitchen, complete with mini pots and pans. And lots and lots of other cool fun things for kids, that you don't necessarily want in your house. I've been going twice a week with Eloise, since she was 8 months old, and she loves it. There is the occasional hair pull or toy grab, but nothing too alarming for the first time parent.

Except today, when a little boy, only 2 years old, shoved three babies in the face, including mine, because they got too close to "his" toys.

I said to him, gently, "You don't have to shove baby". In my head I was screaming, "You little bleepin'...bleep....bleep!".

The only thing that cooled me down was watching his apologetic mom pick him up, take him away from the baby toy station, and sit alone for the rest of the session. It's tough being a mom, but at that moment I really felt like I had it easy.

It Was Good While It Lasted

2009-11-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

Due to reasons beyond her control, my mommy BFF has gone back to work. I am sad.

We met almost a year ago at our Prenatal Class. Both of us opted to do a weekend crash course, because we knew we'd be tempted to skip classes if we signed up for a weekly series. Both of us are of Asian descent, married to Caucasian men. Both of us pulled up in a Jetta, theirs black, ours white. Both of us due at the end of December.

She said something, about being at the Hospital for a check up and the room smelt like ass. I knew we would be friends.

The initial email I sent her, after I gave birth to Eloise, and was confined to my new life as a mother, went something like, "How are you? I'm okay. We should go for a walk when the weather gets nicer." Our initial meeting a month later went something like, "Oh My Fuckin' God. I hate my life! You too! Thank God I'm not alone!"

We've been going out to lunch, shopping with screaming babies, and gossiping about perfect moms ever since.

I would not have made it through this year without her. Ladies, if you're going to get pregnant, make sure you find a friend, someone who will share advice with you, share laughs with you, and half a litre of wine at lunch.

Rock and Roll Over

2009-10-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

I've been asked for months now; can she roll over? is she crawling yet? I sadly replied no, wondering why my child at 9 months was so late to establish these milestones.

Fast forward 2 weeks. She sure can crawl. And yeah, the girl can roll over. Especially, when it's diaper changing time, and there's a huge piece of shit hanging from her ass, that transfers to my arm or sleeve. Yup, sure sad this didn't happen sooner...

Testing via cell phone

2009-10-14T13:50:00.001-07:00

I just signed up so I can blog via my phone.

I am a Fashionista God Damn It

2009-09-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

I am a fashionista. A woman that loves how clothing can provide beauty, and glamour to people, especially attractive people. I watch TV shows to see what the characters wear, not what they're up to. My long term health is only a small part, of why I do yoga. I want to get in shape, so I can fit into designer sample sizes.

During my pregnancy, I wore my designer maternity jeans with loose blouses, and a tailored jacket, or a cardigan on top. On my lazy days, I wore my Uggs, but always with a cute little dress, or skinny jeans, (I left my fly undone until I couldn't wear them anymore). I was as huge as house by the 8th month, but I always had style.

So of course, when baby was to arrive, I knew I still wanted to look great. Aside from such restrictions as breastfeeding, (all tops had to be able to let my boob out some how), I wasn't going to let motherhood stop me from wearing fabulous clothes.

However, now that Eloise is on solids, and now that I have carrot stains on my new cashmere sweater, I'm kind of seeing why some moms put the inner fashionista away.

For My Dad

2009-09-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

I've noticed just in the recent weeks how fond of my dad Eloise is. There is a picture of him holding her on the fridge. At the sight of it, she smiles and starts the cutest giggles. When she was around 4 months old she would smile at random Asian men, or Asian women with short hair. I truly believe it's because, she thought they were her grandpa.

I was on the phone last night with my dad, and told him about the picture. He was choking back tears, as he exclaimed how his heart was melting.

Like all Asian kids, I've grown up being told by my parents, that I owe them big time for raising me. Parts of the repayment plan include, saving yourself marriage, getting married period, being some sort of professional, and buying a huge mansion of a house, where multiple cars can be parked in the front yard. And of course, the birth of a grandchild.

Nagging aside, I've always intended on making sure my parents knew, how grateful I was to them, for my middle class upbringing.

I've put a lot of pressure on myself, to get the repayment plan completed. Truth be told, some things were impossible to do. Now the only thing left on my repayment plan is the mansion.

However, after telling my dad about Eloise's love for her grandpa, I don't think he cares about that anymore.

I Don't PMS, I Breastfeed

2009-09-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest gifts of pregnancy is not having your period. No tampons, no maxi pads, no embarrassing marks on bedding, or clothes that hubby, after all these years, still asks what they could be.

I smile and say, "A cut shaving my legs...maybe?" He figures it out, shuts up, and moves on. Thank god.

It's been quite wonderful not having that conversation. But here I am 18 months later, with my period. Wasn't breastfeeding supposed to prevent this?

Oops

2009-08-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I hooked up with some friends on a patio, hoping to enjoy the last bit of summer. I took Eloise with me.

She had a great time. She hopped from lap to lap trying to pull stuff off the table, while getting hugged to death by my friends. The waitress was impressed with Eloise's fun, well behaved nature.

A few drinks, and a plate of finished nachos later, the waitress came to see how we were doing.

She screamed, "OH MY GOD! Where's your baby?"

I screamed back, "OH MY GOD! Where is my baby!" And then we all busted into laughter.

The waitress had missed the part when hubby came by, and took Eloise home, about an hour into our visit.

Grandpa's Girl

2009-08-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

My father has many tips for child rearing.

"Drink a lot of soup. It helps make good breastmilk. Rub Tiger Balm on baby's belly, so she's warm at night. Babies need a bath twice a day, because it's refreshing."

My favorite one, "Don't hold her all the time. She will get used to being held around like a baby". um, Dad...?

We've been staying at my parents house for a week, while hubby is on holidays. Eloise has learned a trick. When grandpa walks by, she throws her arms in the air, implying that she wants him to pick her up. He does. I remind him of his rule, to not treat her like a baby.

He giggles, and picks her up anyway.

Things I've Taught My Daughter

2009-08-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's a lot of pressure raising a child. I didn't know what kind of parent I wanted to be before Eloise was born, and I still don't really know. My only goals are that I manage to raise a nice kid, and maybe teach her a few things along the way.

So far we've got 3 things down.

MILK - I say milk before I pull out my boob. I can now say milk without pulling out my boob, but I'm pretty sure she understands because she starts curling her tongue, and sucking air.

SMILE - I always pull out my camera phone, and say "smile". She gives me the biggest grins ever. It's super cute. Then she tries to grab my phone, and eat it.

HIGH FIVE - I say high five, and put my hand in the air. When she puts her hand up I hit it with mine, completing the high five. She thinks it's hilarious.

If that's all I ever teach her, I figure it's okay. Many of us have gotten through our lives just fine, smiling, and giving high fives. The curling her tongue, and sucking air thing, we might have to stop.

A Ladies Night Surprise

2009-07-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest deals I get from my husband is an hour, or so (sometimes I push it to two hours) every night of me time. This is when I don't have to hold, watch, feed, or basically interact at all with my baby. This time is very important for my mental well being.

Usually hubby takes her out for a stroll through the neighborhood, so I get to vegetate on the couch, or in front of the computer. Other times I go out shopping, run errands, or meet up with a friend.

Last Thursday, I went out with a friend for dinner. We were paying our bill when a frantic man runs into the restaurant.

"IS ANYONE A VETERINARIAN? WE NEED A VETERINARIAN!"

The man's friend enters the restaurant wearing nothing but a speedo, and says, while flexing his biceps, "Because these puppies are sick".

I Am Breastfeeding Myself

2009-07-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

I believe that baby's feed off the energy of their mothers. Chill mommy, chill baby. I've been pretty cool through this motherhood thing, I think, and Eloise has benefited, thus I have benefited. I've had a very even tempered baby for the past few months.

Then something weird happened. I started watching Sex and the City reruns and crying. I'm extra clingy with my husband and I just want to cuddle all the time. A huge surge of hormones is running through my body like crazy. I'm whiny and a little bitchy... ok a lot bitchy. Anyway, so is my child.

Soap Up the Ass

2009-07-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Last week Eloise was over due for a poo. Two whole weeks over due. I Googled everything to do with baby constipation, and followed the best rated suggestions. I upped her prune intake, added ground flax seed to her cereal, and massaged her belly every hour. Nothing.

I was visiting my mother on the 14th day, when she still hadn't pooped. My Cambodian mother says to me, "Push a piece of bar soap up her bum. When she goes to push it out, the poo will come out too."

"I'm not sticking soap up my daughter's ass. You want her to poo that bad, you do it." I replied. My mother handed Eloise to me, while she went to cut a piece of soap. I whispered in my baby's ear grandma's plans.

As soon a my mom walked back into the room holding a cone shaped piece of soap, Eloise started grunting. An entire two weeks worth of poo filled her diaper.

Next time she's constipated I'm just going to wave a cone shaped piece of soap at her.

Skinny but not that skinny

2009-07-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

I've decided to stop worrying about the last 10 pounds of my pregnancy weight, and start doing something about it. So I'm focusing my energy on thinking skinny.

Yup, no dumb bells or crunches for me. To get back into my super skinny jeans, I'm just going to start thinking that I'm skinny enough. If I learned anything from "The Secret", it's that the power of intention really works. Rent the movie if you don't believe me.

After 2 weeks of thinking skinny (eating out and drinking wine), I'm down 5 nasty pounds. I just weighted myself to check that I'm not totally full of shit. I'm not.

So yesterday, I took my skinny ass self to BCBG, to check out their sale. My summer strollin' dream dress was 30% off! The only sizes on the rack were extra small but I'm totally an extra small right?

Yeah, no.

I heard a seam rip as I wiggled the dress over my hips. And it clung grossly, like a needy girlfriend, to my midsection. Too sad, and scared to ask for the small, (two in a row that didn't fit would have made me cry), I asked if they had a medium in the back. They did. It fit perfectly over my hips and hung just right.

Next week I will add crunches to my thinking skinny plan.

Good-bye Designer Mat Jeans

2009-06-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Like most of my girlfriends, I have a serious denim addiction. If it's dark wash, bootleg, skinny and has a price tag that looks like a car payment, I want it. Lucky for my pocket book, I'm really good at grabbing them on sale. 10% off still counts as a sale right?

When I was pregnant I bought a pair of maternity Paige Jeans for 60% off. They're know as the best butt jeans in Premium Denim. I read it on their website so it must be true. Anyway, the only reason I walked out of the store with just one pair of jeans, was because they didn't have my size in the other styles. Please note at the time of purchase I was one jean size larger. Boo.

I wore them all the time; to work, to dinners, to fashion shows, to the mall, to pick up groceries. My pregnant ass never looked so good. They were my favorite article of clothing for all three trimesters.

They were still my go to jeans during the "forth" trimester, after the birth of the baby but still before I gave a shit about working out. I've even worn then on and off for the last few months when I know I'm going to eat a big dinner and need the comfort of an elastic waist band.

But alas, today, about six months since I've given birth, I have to retire my maternity jeans. They are one size too big.

Yeah, I stroll

2009-05-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Eloise was still in my belly when I bought our stroller. The stroller was the least important baby necessity to me. I envisioned carrying my baby around in a sling, with shopping bag in one hand and latte in the other. But as the books will tell you, strollers are pretty important, and yeah, I knew I would use it... every once in a while.

I had a very good idea of what the perfect stroller would look like. It had to be slim, (I'm little and I really wanted to look cute pushing it), it had to be easy to travel with, since I'd be going to visit my parents a lot, and it had to be quasi cool. I loved the Bugaboo, but as shallow as I am, I couldn't justify the price.

At 17lbs, with a sleek European design, and compact fold, I knew the Quinny Zapp was the stroller for me. I bought the infant car seat that adapts to it, and have been stylishly pushing my baby around town ever since.

So it turns out, I actually use the stroller a lot more than I thought I would. Everyday in fact, for at least a few hours. I can't lug Eloise around in a sling for that long. She's freakin' huge.

As cute as I look, now that I'm using the regular stroller seat instead of the infant car seat, my poor baby isn't looking as great as I thought she would. Since the stroller seat doesn't recline she falls asleep upright. Which looks so painful... ok maybe not painful, but definitely uncomfortable. Also, the beautiful canopy it comes with, hardly keeps the sun off her face.

As a pregnant woman I picked the stroller I wanted, not the stroller my baby needed. A real mom wouldn't have done that. A real mom would have scooted strollers in the park, talked to other moms, went on youtube and watched all the stroller reviews by Baby Gizmo.

Well, I'm a real mom now, and that's what I did to find my new stroller, the Baby Jogger City Mini. It's still sleek (God help my vanity), but it's got a huge canopy and fully reclining seat so Eloise can sleep comfortably.

If only I knew then, what I know now. Gees, how many more years am I going to be saying that line?

Sunny Fridays

2009-05-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

For the past few sunny Fridays I've been out on a patio with my baby in my lap, a delicious lunch on the table and a glass of wine in my other hand. Finally, I'm understanding what Mat Leave is all about.

Sex?

2009-04-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

I had a checkup with my Obstetrician a month after the delivery of Eloise. She praised me for having a vaginal birth, confirmed that I was healing nicely and asked me if I'd thought about birth control yet.

I said, "Yeah, abstinence ." She laughed and give me a pamphlet for Mirena.

Poo

2009-03-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

When I found out I was pregnant, there were many things I swore I'd never do because I was still going to be a cool, even as a mom.

A woman once told me, that the best part of her day was when her kid had a poop. I thought what a loser.

Today I have Eloise on my lap, and am making grunting noises to encourage her to poo. It's totally going to make my day once she does.

My Labour Story

2009-01-11T12:02:00.001-08:00

So for the gory labour details, that people have been dying to know. Contractions started Saturday night at 10pm. Since I was so stir crazy for the past two weeks due to the snow I was totally psyched that this might be it. And it was.

By 5am Sunday they were 5 minutes apart. I had called the BC Women’s assessment line (they tell you whether or not to come to the hospital) around 3am and they said not to come until the contractions were 5 minutes apart. I called them again at 5am, at this point during contractions I couldn’t talk and they said we should come in. So we called the ambulance (our car was stuck in the alley).

When we got to the hospital I had to go through a physical assessment, basically a nurse fingers you to see how dilated your cervix is. Mine was 4cm so we didn’t get sent home. We went straight into a delivery room. It was ugly but I really wanted to have the baby so I didn’t care that Cedars wasn’t available due to understaffing.

My cervix was opening nicely all morning. The nurse assigned to us was great, totally encouraging and positive. Spencer was very active in helping me through the labour. There was one point where he made a joke that made me want to hurt him but instead I said “Please babe, not now”. He totally got that it wasn’t the right time and he was perfect ever since. By 11am my cervix was 9.5cm. It stayed that way for the next 4 hours. Probably the hardest 4 hours of the labour. I used laughing gas most of the time, which doesn’t make things funny but does take the edge off a bit. At 3pm the doctor told me I did an awesome job so far but she suggested having an epidural so my body and I could finish the labour. At this point I’d been holding in the urge to push for about 2 hours. It literally felt like I was trying to keep my ass from splitting in half, so of course I said “YES!” to the epidural.

The epidural was put in and 40 minutes later I pushed out a baby. I cried hysterically for a few minutes. They were tears of joy, and tears of accomplishment. I’ve never done anything that’s made me feel as strong as delivering a baby.

Though Spence was not intending on watching the events unfold below my waist he did. He says he would have gotten the epidural after the first hour of labour. He also says that calling someone a “Pussy” doesn’t really make sense anymore, since witnessing the power of my vagina.

I wouldn’t have changed a thing about the labour. It was perfect and when I think back on it I start crying. Call it hormones, call it crazy whatever. I just feel really lucky that everything worked out so well for me and Eloise.

The Best Mother's Day Ever

2008-07-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

It just so happened that our doctor confirmed we were pregnant the Friday before Mother's Day. We were only six weeks along. Concerns of a miscarriage later rocked my world. However, at the time, there was no doubt in my mind that we were having a baby , so I really wanted to tell the folks as soon as possible. The last time I visited my mom and dad on the island, my mother was trying to persuade me to go see the doctor to figure out why at 27 I was so infertile. Ironically, I was pregnant at the time.

Anyway, we had invited Donna, Spence's mom over to our house for a special Mother's Day brunch that I had prepared. After brunch, I told Donna that I wanted to get my mom on speaker phone, so I could wish her a Happy Mother's Day. The conversation went as follows;

ME: Hey, Happy Mother's Day!

MOM: Thanks sweetie, how are are?

ME: Really good. I have a very special present for you, but you can't have it until Christmas.

MOM: Huh? What?

Spence and I are smiling ear to ear as we watch Donna try to figure out the clue. Like my mom, she doesn't get it either.

MOM: Oh....Oh....Is it what I think it is.....

ME: Well what do you think it is?

MOM: a baby...?

Donna's eyes have filled with tears as she finally gets it.

ME: Yup, we're having a baby!

My dad starts talking. He's been on the speaker phone on their end too.

DAD: I'm so excited, let me play a song!

He's been taking guitar lessons, and what a better way to celebrate than an impromptu acoustic guitar solo. We say our good byes, and I can hear my mom choking back her tears.

Baby or Beer Belly?

2008-07-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

I was really excited about the little baby bump that was developing around 11 weeks. I've heard some women don't show until the 2nd trimester, but I'm 5'3". If I eat a hamburger I show.

Anyway, Spence came with me to see the doctor for the results of my latest ultrasound. The visit before this one had ended with me in tears. My doctor was concerned that I may have miscarried already since a heartbeat had not been picked up at the very first ultrasound. But I hoped, prayed and thanked the Universe for a healthy happy baby, and it came true. My doctor was pleased to let us know that the baby was developing perfectly.

He was so happy for us that he even showed me where my uterus currently was. I laid on the table. He pointed, "Right there, I can feel a hard little lump".

I pointed at my "baby bump" no where near the spot he found the uterus, and asked, "So this isn't my baby?"

He smiled and closed the door behind him. Spence fell on the floor laughing.

My Sister Nika

2008-07-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Spence is my husband. He's over a decade older than Nika. She likes urban guys. Her current beau is an aspiring rapper from Seattle. She loves Spence but thinks he is old, and kind of a geek.

While Spence and I were still just dating, I asked Nika if I needed her to be, would she ever consider being a surrogate for me.

She shrieked, "Gross, does that mean I have to fuck Spence?!"