Snowbirds save the airshow!

Did you know Canada..  I thought this was great news - in Sacramento this past weekend at the annual California Capital air show our own Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds entertained the
crowds as both the US Navy's Blue Angels and the US Air Force Thunderbirds were grounded due to federal budget cuts.

US news stations were crediting the Snowbirds as saving the air show!

The Miramir air show was cancelled due to the government shut down much to the disappointment of fans, especially as it one of the biggest air show events in the US.

Love that our guys were able to stun the crowds and helped the show go on!

Should we change the Canadian National Anthem?

Did you know Canada..  Famed Canadian Margaret Atwood, former prime minister Kim Campbell and other prominent Canadian women calling for the lyrics of "O Canada" to be more gender-neutral.

Instead of "all thy sons command" they'd like to hear "in all of us command".  In a statement from Margaret Atwood she says "The words 'all thy sons command' in the English national anthem suggests that only male loyalty is being invoked,".

Check out a YouTube Video about their thoughts here:


Tell me, what do you think?

The ‘Curse of Tom Zombie’

Did you know Canada..  we have a VERY interesting guest post to share with you today - we have a campfire story and event news!

Thanks Stacey for inviting the St. Thomas Tom Zombie Festival to blog on your blog. You are a delight and we really appreciate the opportunity to reach out to your readers.  Our festival will be an annual event held on the grounds of the Elgin County Railway Museum. Many of you Moms out there may know it because it is the same place Thomas the Train appears every year. The festival will be on August 31^st and the most family friendly stuff goes on during the early afternoon. Instead of going on and on about our festival here, after all you can learn all about it simply by typing www.tzf.ca into your search engine, I wanted to share our brand new campfire story with you all. Now this is one to scare the dickens out of your kids around your backyard bonfires this summer. It was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again Stacey! You rock!  ~ Bryan Bakker

This, legend within a legend, is based on a short poem written by Toby Ten, an African American Poet who died in 1848. This short verse explains the supposed workings of the curse:
 
The words ‘Tom Zombie’ from one,
Is just a little bit of fun,
The words ‘Tom Zombie’ from two,
Should give you a clue,
The words ‘Tom Zombie’ from three,
Well that sets hell free.
 
The latest incarnation of this legend is built into the following story based on an account that has passed from memory. It is said to have occurred in the general vicinity of St. Thomas.
 
     It wasn’t long ago that the curse of Tom Zombie showed itself in an unexpected way. Some say it’s because the Trimetric Bell, the source of Tom Zombie’s power, sensed its time was once again at hand, even underneath tons of pressing dirt. Whatever the reason it came to pass that around a campfire one night, a group of teenagers sat laughing and joking. Surrounded by trees and meadows and streams they felt at ease. Of course they had all heard of the Legend of Tom Zombie, but, like so many before them they didn’t believe it. One of the boys, a tall blond lad named Steve, even went so far as to say it was a bunch of bull. The other kids laughed.
     “Sure its bull, but what is the legend?” asked Josh, Steve’s younger brother and the butt of a lot of jokes within the group.
     “Simple really,” Steve replied, looking to all of them with wide eyes and then a wider smile, as if recognizing an opportunity. “The story goes that if three people each say Tom Zombie right in a row Tom Zombie will get them.” Everyone was quiet, “So, who’s going to say it first?” Steve followed.
     Rustling leaves, whistling wind, no one said a word.  John, Steve’s best friend and someone who had been smiling the whole time, suddenly said, “Tom Zombie.”
     Steve laughed as he drank a big gulp from his cup and then half belched the words, “Tom Zombie!” His voice echoed through the valleys surrounding their little perch near a hill top. In the distance a bell started ringing ever so quietly. It lasted only a few seconds.
Janet and Sally, the only two girls in the group looked near tears.
     “Stop it Steve!” Sally crowed, slapping his arm, “I heard a bell!”
     “Me too, this is getting creepy!” said Janet.
     Randal, the real clown of the group was the natural person to follow the pair and even he looked worried. Josh stared out into the tree line; orange slivers of light dancing around the brush from their fire. If something was out there, no one would be able to see it, and with all of them laughing and talking, no one would hear anything either, least not until it was too late.
     “Please no one say it,” squeaked Josh, now huddling deep under his blanket so that only his eyes and nose were visible. He knew the instant he said it that it would have the opposite effect.
     “C’mon Randal say it!” John crowed half laughing “Or are you scared too?”  he said this last part as a mother might console a child. Randal, John knew, had his pride and little else.
Randal looked up to the stars, “Fine,” he said then bellowed, “Tom Zombie!”
Everyone and everything went dead quiet.
     The wind stopped, the forest seemed devoid of sound, not even insects of birds. Only the crackling fire kept the night time silence from engulfing them.
     After long fearful moments Steve finally started to laugh.
     “You guys are such pansies!” he said smirking.
     The tension broke and the group followed in kind. John and Randal clapped their hands together; Steve gave Randal a friendly slap on the cheek as Randal smiled and nodded. Josh poked his little head out from his blanket, even the girls began to chuckle nervously.
     “It’s just a silly story,” Steve said and they all began to relax. It didn’t take long for the group to forget what they had done and begin talking of other less consequential things.
     What they couldn’t know, because the knowledge had been lost in legend, was that, though it was true that Tom Zombie couldn’t awaken to sow his wraith upon them, the nearest dead to where they sat could and people had been living and dying in these parts for many years.
     In fact, mere months before, a cabin just over the next hill from where they camped, had burned to the ground, unknown and unseen by anyone.  Most of the poor family who had lived there had been burned to ash, but two, a mother and her teenage son, had made it out only to die in the leaves and mud outside. Their bones and rotting flesh had all but been taken by hungry animals and carrion worms. Enough remained however to hear the ringing of the bell and the call back to the land of the living.
     The kids laughed around their fire, whimsical in their disregard for the evil they had released. It was Steve who heard the shambling first; mixed with the wind and the crackling fire.  When he said “Quiet!” to the group they thought it another joke and just laughed louder. Then they all heard a stick CRACK from the dark and a hollow GROAN mixed in with a stiff and suddenly cold wind.
     Steve was about to blame Randal, but sure enough Randal was still sitting just behind him; his eyes wide and his skin pale like snow. They all realized quickly that all of them still sat around there fire, terrified, but accounted for. Then who was out there?
     Of the six who went camping that night only two ever returned: Sally and Janet. Steve,      John, Randal and Steve’s little brother Josh, never came home.
     The horror of the surviving two was unparalleled and neither girl ever recovered. Their story was buried by gossip and excuse; just kids traumatized by a serial murderer or a freak animal attack. But the bodies of the four lost kids were never found and for years rumors persisted.
     It’s said that the parents of the two brothers who were lost that night had themselves buried up on that hill upon death, waiting for their children to return, or perhaps, for some other group of three to be foolish enough to not believe in the curse of Tom Zombie.
The ‘Curse of Tom Zombie’ Campfire Story

Wow - AeroVelo Wins $250,000 Sikorsky Prize!

Did you know Canada..  The Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition was established in 1980(!!!) by the American Helicopter Society International to develop the first controlled flight of a human powered helicopter that meets a set of extremely challenging requirements.

The requirements to win the AHS Human Powered Helicopter Competition include a flight duration of at least 60 seconds and reaching an altitude of 3 meters while remaining in a 10 meter square boundary. The flight must also be certified by a representative of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

The competition was named in honor of Igor Sikorsky and the prize is $250,000 (pledged by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation).

Well, BIG NEWS! The prize was awarded July 11 2013 to the AeroVelo team from the University of Toronto. On 13 June 2013 at 12:43PM EDT the team managed to keep their human-powered helicopter called Atlas in the air for 64.11 seconds, reach a peak altitude of 3.3 metres and drift no more than 9.8 metres.

Check it out here, and congratulations!!  Go Canada!!

Caesar - Canada's Cocktail!

Did you know Canada..  Invented in Calgary, Alberta in 1969 by restaurateur Walter Chell to celebrate the opening of a new Italian restaurant in the city, caesars are Canada's cocktail and I LOVE them!

Check out my recipe over at Canadian Mom's Cook.  What are some of your favourite cocktails?

I AM. Canadian

Did you know Canada.. I AM. Canadian is back for Canada Day long weekend!!!

The sun is shining, the temp is high and it's the weekend to celebrate everything great about our country!  We know Canadians know how to party, and this is the weekend to do it!!

Molson Canadian knows about Canadian pride, and after over a decade, Molson Canadian’s iconic campaign I AM. is back for Canada Day 2013!  Check out this amazing new commercial - Molson Canadian took a (really awesome) beer fridge around Europe and only a Canadian passport could open it.  View the results here:




Molson Canadian has also launched a new online store to sell Molson Canadian merchandise (including I AM. Canadian merchandise for a limited time!).  Now you can buy all the cool stuff you see posted on Facebook and on promos in store!  Right now they are offering FREE SHIPPING too!  And they ship anywhere - how fun would it be to send a Canadian abroad some Molson Canadian swag!

In Ontario head to the beer store before the long weekend and pick up a specially marked case of Molson Canadian for an  I AM. Canadian in case tshirt!  There's 4 to collect - better pick up a case for a friend too!

And this is the coolest thing ever I think, they have been distributed to local bars and restaurants - an I AM. Canadian BEER BOOT!  So you better be heading out with some friends this weekend to check them out!

Join us in showing your Canadian pride this weekend by changing your Facebook profile or cover image to an I AM. Canadian one!  Check out the details here.

You can't have a celebration without some prizes!!!  Enter below for your chance to win an I AM. Canadian prize pack; including: I AM. Canadian tee, I AM. Canadian duffle bag, I AM. Canadian beer boot (YES! Your own beer boot!), and I AM. Canadian hat!!!  You do not want to miss this giveaway, it includes an I AM. Canadian beer boot!!  (must be Canadian and of legal drinking age to win!)

Giveaway

The Red Sands of PEI

Did you know Canada..  we all know about the red sands of PEI (and they are beautiful, trust me, I've been there twice and would go again in a heart beat) but do you know why they are red?

First a little about PEI, it's one of our three Maritime provinces and is the smallest in the nation in land area and in population.  In September 1864, Prince Edward Island hosted the Charlottetown Conference, which was the first meeting in the process leading to the Quebec Resolutions and the creation of Canada in 1867, though PEI did not end up joining right away.  It also, as many of us know, it very popular for it's potato production.  Producing 25% of Canada's potatoes.

(Chensiyuan)

Basically the soil is red because it has a lot of rust in it.  The soil has a high iron oxide content, which rusts on exposure to air.  Prince Edward Island was formed a long time ago on sedimentary bedrock of soft, red sandstone, which produces rich, red soil.

It also erodes very easily and PEI often ends up with a lot of red snow from wind storms in the winter season!

Cord Blood Storage in Canada

Did you know Canada..  with the recent birth of my new little one I read up a lot about Cord Blood Storage in Canada.

Although cord blood storage is still a relatively new process, I hear about many families looking into it these days.  I can see that the benefits of cord blood storage are especially important for families that have a heritage of mixed ethnicities.  Unlike bone marrow transplants, cord blood can be a suitable transplant for people of all genetics.  Families with a history of certain conditions also stand to benefit from cord blood storage, and if your doctor knows your family’s history you will likely be encouraged to consider the benefits of cord blood.


For effective storage and development, cord blood stem cells must be banked using a cord blood program such as Insception Lifebank.  The cord blood collection process is painless, poses no risk to you or your baby’s health, and in no way interferes with your baby’s birth.

Great news - to help make the cost a little easier for you, Insception is offering $100 coupons for its cord blood storage services, which you can redeem by registering with the Insception Lifebank cord blood program. Very easy to do - all you need to provide to obtain a coupon is your name and your baby’s due date (this is so the storage facility has time to reserve a spot for your cord blood sample).  Your coupon is then personalized using your expected due date, which also sets an expiration date for 10 days after the scheduled birth, so in other words, if you do get the coupon, make use of it sooner than later.



Cord blood is a rich source of viable stem cells which are used in clinical trial tests for advancements in possible treatments of several conditions.  Cord blood stem cells have been used to test potential new treatments for conditions such as Type 1 Diabetes, cerebral palsy, autism, spinal cord injuries and dozens of others.  It's a big decision to make as part of your birthing plan, which ever way you decide is best for your family, I am happy we have these options in Canada available to us.

Did you consider storing cord blood as part of your birthing plan?


I was compensated for this sponsored post made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. Coupons for this promotion are available to Canadian residents only. American registrations are welcome but unfortunately do not qualify for the coupons.

Feb 15th - Flag Day!

Did you know Canada.. today, February 15th, is National Flag Day!!

First declared in 1996, it marks the day in 1965 when our red and white maple leaf flag was first raised over Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

You can read about the history of our flag here. Although I'm sure I knew it, I was still shocked to read our flag was debated on in Parliment from Oct-Dec 1964, and on January 28, 1965, the National Flag of Canada was proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to take effect on February 15, 1965 - which brings us, of course, to flag day on February 15th. Went I think back to history I would have though our flag was older than that.

Although the official flag did not come about until the mid sixty's, the red and white of our flag were designated as Canada's official colours in 1921 by His Majesty King George V and the maple leaf has actually been used as an emblem in Canada since the eighteenth century. It was often served to distinguish Canadians abroad, for example it was used to represent Canada at our first time in the Olympians in 1904.

Did you know our flags history?

He's here!

Did you know Canada..  I just wanted to let you know my new little man is here!

Born Jan 31st in the afternoon, he is perfect and we are so very happy!

Planning for the days ahead

Did you know Canada..  I am having a baby in TWO days!  That is, of course, if he doesn't decide to come before, and at this point, I would love it if he just goes with the plan.

Suddenly today I am having a few "Oh my goodness, I'm having a baby, I don't feel prepared" moments.  It's not the baby I'm not prepared for, it's the two children I already have!  When I had the boys I had all the time in the world.  No other responsibilities to anyone, it didn't matter how long I was staying in the hospital, or what day the baby came.  But now with 5 year olds there is school, hockey, cooking classes, we have 2 dogs at home that need to be cared for, bags to be packed, toys to be packed and more.

So today I find myself online shopping kids toy stores for Valentine's Day ideas, because that's coming up quick!  I also wanted to get the boys a small present for when the baby comes home, to celebrate them becoming big brothers.  I am also making a big shopping list for hubby to get in extra school lunches and snacks tomorrow, making lists and more lists about what's happening when, who has what car and thinking about what if's and, well, everything!

This is a day I am very grateful for the world we live in now, shopping on the internet, smart phones to keep in touch with family and friends, delivery men and video games to keep the boys busy while Mom freaks out.

How did you prepare your older children for a new baby's arrival?  Especially if you had a longer stay in the hospital.

Create your Registry with Sears The Baby's Room - #SearsBabysRoom

Did you know Canada..  when I had my twins 5 years ago things were so shocking with the idea of twins, the constant Doctor's appointments, we had to move to a bigger place, we had just gotten married before becoming pregnant, I never ended up making a registry or having a baby shower.

With number 3 on the way I knew I really wanted to experience all that this time though.  There was so much we needed because we either had items made for twins, or what we had we got rid of  things that had been used to hard, or things like car seats were now expired, etc..  So my first stop was the Sears website to create my registry.

It's very simple to head to the Gift Registry section of the Sears website, select the Baby Registry, click create and follow a simple 6 step process of filling out all your info and you are on your way!

The best part of course is adding all the items to your registry, here are a few of my must haves I put on my own registry..

• * Themed decor items like a lamp, we got the "Monkey'n'Around" Lamp
• * Bottles, Drying Racks and a Sterlizer
• * Bath tub, Wash cloths, Towels and shampoo/body wash
• * Monitors and Baby Gates
• One thing I wouldn't add a lot of is clothes.  People will often just pick whatever outfits they want for you, whether you want them or not..haha.. 

For more inspiration visit Sears special Tips section!

To add products to your registry from Sears.ca, you simply browse the site and click the Add to Registry link below the Add to Card button.  If needed it will ask you to log in to your registry and you're good to go!  You can then view your registry or continue "shopping" to add more items to your registry.

This can also be done in store by using the helpful kiosk in The Baby's Room section, fill out the form and meet with a Sears representative who will give you a scanner so you can go through The Baby's Room and scan the UPC codes of the items you wish to add to your registry.

The registry can be updated any time in store or online.  I found it nice to sit at home and browse my registry and Sears.ca to change some things around, update the quantity of items.  Remember you are going to likely want more than one pack of wash clothes, towels, soothers, etc..

When completing the process online I received cards in the mail a few days later to insert into the baby shower invites so friends and family knew where to find my registry online and in store.

Sears Canada’s Baby Registry also has the unique “Waiting Game” contest. It’s an amazing opportunity to win the value of everything on your registry! Just create your registry as we described above, and then correctly guess your baby’s arrival date! The date can be changed up to two times, at least 60 days prior to the “guesstimated” original date.  If the baby does indeed arrive on the guessed date, the winners will be awarded coupons equivalent to the net amount of items purchased off of the registry.  The most recent winner won just over $3000 to spend back in the Baby’s Room!

With Sears Baby Days happening RIGHT NOW until January 24th, it's the best time to create your registry and get shopping. You’ll find 15% off all cribs, strollers, travel systems, travel accessories, nursery furniture, high chairs, boosters, playards, bouncers and swings, and 20% off all humidifiers, monitors, carriers, gates and Halo sleepsacks!  Check your local flyers for even more savings!

More good news from Sears, The Baby’s Room has been certified by PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) and they are running a fun contest to celebrate!  Until January 31st, shoppers can win the Spot the Seal contest by taking a picture of themselves in-store (with the seal!) and sharing the photo on Twitter or PTPA’s facebook page.  When using Twitter be sure to tag @PTPA & use the #SpotTheSeal hashtag to be entered into the contest!  You’ll be able to find the seal in The Baby’s Room area of Sears locations all across Canada!

There are 3 weekly $100 gift cards to be won and an amazing Grand Prize consisting of Stork Craft Carrara nursery (two cribs and a two-drawer change table!), Tfal Steamer & Blender, Angel Care Movement & Sound monitor and a Crane Animal Shaped humidifier!!  A value of $929.95!

So many great reasons to visit your local Sears store this month, if you have a little one on the way create your registry, enter the Waiting Game, take advantage of Sears Baby Days Sale and enter the Spot the Seal contest!

Disclosure: I am part of the Sears – The Baby’s RoomAmbassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Back at it!

Did you know Canada..  I'm back after an extended Holiday break, kids are back at school this morning and hubby is back at work.

Anyone else feel like Christmas was months ago???  Especially here, as we have spent the past week getting the house ready for our new baby on the way.

On that note, if I disappear for a week or more, that means it's baby time!  Our new little one will be joining us at the end of the month, but of course, babies are unpredictable and could make an earlier appearance. I'm not sure if I will get to the blog right away, and I will be in the hospital for a few days as well, but keep watch on Twitter for some baby news!!!

Stay tuned this week for some great info, news, and giveaways!!

Happy 2013!!

Downy Unstopables #PGmom

Did you know Canada.. have you heard about Downy Unstopables yet?  I had a small trial pack that I had but hadn't used.  Then I purchased a baby item from a swap site to save some money and wanted to get it REALLY clean, so when I went to wash the material I looked around for something extra and used my Unstopables pack.  Well, I have been hooked ever since!

Unstopables are in wash scent booster that goes beyond everyday freshness to keep active wear, towels, and other fabrics smelling “wow” right up until the next wash, and wow was right, I couldn't believe the results, I was SO HAPPY!

Since then I've received to full size bottles in my pack from P&G and have purchased more, I LOVE them, I use them for the boys stinky sports clothes, for towels, I toss a bit in the wash the few times I've forgotten to switch the loads and had to re-run them (we'll blame my pregnancy brain on that).  They are awesome, and I just wanted to share my joy with you.  I'm not big about adding extras to the wash as I can get rash-y just thinking about some things, but adding these to the wash do not affect my skin and makes everything smell amazing!

Yet another reason why I am proud to be a P&G Mom :-)

My Butteryfly - A Capella Lullabies

Did you know Canada..  we are really counting down the weeks until the new baby gets here now, and I'm so excited to have learned about Vocal Paint.

Vocal Paint was founded by Jason Simmons and the first CD in the Vocal Paint series "My Butterfly/A Capella Lullabies" was released in 2011.

In 2012, "My Butterfly/A Capella Lullabies" received a Juno nomination for "Children's Album of the Year"!!!

We have been listening to it this past week and I really enjoy it, it's very soft and soothing, exactly what our babies need to fall asleep, especially for those middle of the night feedings.  Personally I love that it's not "cutesy", don't get me wrong, I love cutesy, silly singing for kids too, but at bed time this will be beautiful to listen to, not only for babe, but for a sleepy Mom to enjoy too.

One of my favourite songs on the CD is Edelweiss, it makes me think of the Sound of Music and childhood and fun days.  It's also such a relaxing song.  There are also many childhood songs on the CD like Hush Little Baby, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Row, Row, Row Your Boat - all family favourites and easy to sing and hum along to.

All the songs are done in a capella, of course, the human voice is the oldest musical instrument and for centuries parents have been singing their children to sleep.  We have found this CD a real comfort to listen to and enjoy and I can't wait to share it with our new little one!

Visit the Vocal Paint website to listen to samples of the CD and purchase from iTunes or CD Baby.

We have great news for our readers as well, enter below for your chance to win a copy of "My Butterfly/A Capella Lullabies"!

Giveaway

Gotta Getta Gund

Did you know Canada..  I bet you remember the phrase Gotta Getta Gund from your youth.  Well Gund is still making unique teddys and stuffies for your little ones to enjoy.

We recently received a Buzzi Bumble Bee and Lolly Giraffe to have some comforting friends here when our new baby comes home.  They have already brightened up the baby's room and we all love the Hush Little Baby lullaby that Lolly plays with a turn of the key.

I am really happy with how easy the key is to turn, I remember some keyed and wind-up toys of my youth and they were always impossible to use.  With Lolly the Giraffe my 5 year old boys can easily turn the key to hear the sweet song.

The Buzzi Bumble Bee is really cool, it's part blanket and part friend. I love the yellow satin underside, all the best security blanket's have that cool satin piece on them don't they?  I know my baby blanket did.

Speaking of satin, check out their Comfy Cozy friends as well.  It's a cozy blanket with a full satin underside, and a cute bumble bee or lady bug head as well.

Their entire babyGund section is so, so sweet, you are sure to find a new friend for a new little one in your family.  These friends would be great gifts for under the tree this year, as cozy stuffies from your baby years are memories that last a life time aren't they?

Be sure to stay up to stay with the latest products from Gund on Twitter and Facebook!

Tfal Baby - 2 IN 1 Bottle Warmer & Sterlizer

Did you know Canada..  with less than 12 weeks to go (or maybe even 10 or less, who knows when the new baby plans on making his appearance :-) ) until our new little one arrives, and the madness of Christmas for the next two months, we are really getting serious about baby prep around here!

This week it was figuring out the bottles, we got a new set of bottles from my baby shower and we were so excited to try out our new Tfal Baby - 2 IN 1 Bottle Warmer & Sterlizer.  Before we even used it I have to tell you how much I love the size of it.  It takes up hardly any counter space, which I absolutely LOVE, it's easy to set up and get going, even for the first time.

I love how contained all the pieces where,  No losing the accessories in one of your drawers, this ones with it's own attached drawer for them! I didn't have a bottle warmer with my boys and I can already tell how much I'm going to love having one with time.  No guessing how long to leave the bottle in warm water, the settings let you set for exactly how much you have filled in the bottle as well.  It's also really cute!  Love the Winnie-the-Pooh theme!!

As Mom to 5 year old boys who love to help (for awhile at least), I was happy to see all the security measures in place as well - a safety cool wall to avoid risk of burns and heating controls.

Great functionality in place for a busy Mom as well - an automatic shut-off when sterilization is complete with a sound signal when warming is complete (thank you!), and accommodates all materials like plastic and glass.

This would make a fantastic gift for new Mom's and Mom's-to-be this Holiday Season.  It would be thoughtful, useful and takes 2 worries off Mom's mind - both sterilizing and warming the bottles.

Keep up to date on all the Tfal products by following them on Twitter and Facebook.

Prematurity Awareness

Did you know Canada.. we have a very important guest post today about Prematurity Awareness from Elizabeth - Frugal Mom Eh..


Prematurity is not something most women consider a possibility during their pregnancy. Most women have no idea what goes on inside the NICU. Most women have no idea what it is like to go through having a baby born prematurely. I was the same before my daughter was born 11 weeks early and due to this ignorance I was left feeling very alone, depressed and scared.

I felt robbed of my pregnancy, robbed of my perfect birth. Scared she would not make it. Afraid there would be lasting issues.

When I was discharged from the hospital and sent home alone I just sat in my empty house and cried. I wasn’t pregnant anymore. My baby was in the hospital and I desperately wanted her there with me.

At the time I thought something was wrong with me and I couldn’t understand all the emotions but I know now just how normal they all were.

Even more normal is the excitement preemie parents feel about being able to do the diaper change and hold the NG tube for the feed and the disappointment when you show up and it has already been done by one of the staff. You find yourself picking up and even using all the hospital jargon as if it were every day English.

There are no cute posed newborn photos, instead you settle on shots taken outside an incubator.

Rather than waking up throughout the night to breastfeed your newborn you wake up to an alarm signalling it is time to pump. Honk Moo Honk Moo.

We celebrate every victory – coming off breathing support, coming off all the IVs, a clear head ultrasound and so on.

When my daughter came home after 54 days in the NICU I quickly found out two things. One was that a lot of people are preemies, have had preemies or know preemies. The other thing I found was that a lot of other people know nothing about preemies.

When out with my daughter I found people Oohing and Awwing over how little she was and asking in wonder how old she was. What an awkward question. Did they want their actual age? Maybe they would understand her adjusted age – the age she would have been had she not been early?

Keira’s development, like all preemies, is measured by her adjusted age rather than her actual age. This is because development doesn’t speed up just because you are born. After all premature babies aren’t just babies born a little too early; they are babies who weren’t finished! It can take until 2 years of age or longer for a preemie to catch up in both size and development. Right now, as a baby, those 3 months make a huge difference. When she gets older those few months won’t be so important at all.

Preemies get evaluated every few months to measure their growth and development and are often behind even for their adjusted age. See finishing developing outside the womb does not work quite as well as inside, no matter how good the care in the NICU.

If you are interested in supporting premature infants please think of one of the many great organisations that support their care such as Blood banks, the Ronald McDonald House and Human Milk Banks.

The Great Mystery Boxes Giveaway: Secret Santa Edition

Did you know Canada.. The Great Mystery Boxes Giveaway: Secret Santa Edition is here!

From today until the 26th of November (just in time for the Holidays!), enter for a chance to win one of six amazing mystery boxes filled with products everyone will love! Each box contains specially themed-filled, brand-new products (except for media reviewed items, such as books and DVDs) including:

Baby ($200+ value)
Kids ($230+ value)
Beauty & Fashion ($200+ value)
Health & Beauty ($250+ value)
College Care Pack ($240+ value)
Box of Intrigue ($270+ value)

These amazing prizes are made available thanks to the hosts: Talking Momcents, Did you know Canada?, The Knit Wit by Shair, Tales of a Ranting Ginger, Little Miss Kate, Geek With Style, and Maple Leaf Mommy!

Enter below for your chance to win, Good Luck Canada!!

Giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Twenties tomorrow!

Did you know Canada.. tomorrow (Wed. Nov 7, 2012) is the day, Bank of Canada will begin circulating the new $20 polymer bills.

Here's a link to see the new bills, perfect for upcoming Remembrance Day, the images include red poppies and the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

It's fairly easy to avoid 50s and 100s but I think we all have a few 20s in our wallet from time to time, how do you feel about the new polymer bills now that they will be part of most people's cash flow?