reflections on 2012 part II

because I couldn't stop at just one. 

More 2012 ghill life moments....

Happy New Year Everyone!

reflections on 2012

as 2012 comes to a close, I can't help but really reflect on this epic year. 

On my resolutions for the coming year. 

On how I will  mother my babes, on how I will be a better wife to my husband

and on how I will be more present for my friends. 

I say will and not want because you can want to do anything but will is more affirmative. More action.

2012 proved to be challenging, trying to find a balance between mothering, being a wife, working and everything else. It will always be a bit of a tight rope I suppose, a constant juggle. But when we know better we do better and that's really the best you can hope for. 

A look back at 2012 and some of my favourite ghill life moments...

Here's to a healthy, happy and wonderful 2013!  

a very un-merry and then merry again christmas

Well after a whirlwind couple of days, 

with back to back family Christmas dinners.... it hit. 

The flu took a hold of Guy and left Oliver fevered for 2 days now. 

Thankfully Guy felt much better this morning and Oliver's only symptom has been a slight temperature. But it made him ahem a tad miserable this morning and definitely less enthusiastic about the presents Santa brought than he would have been otherwise. Not to mention the horrible night we had of very little sleep as he and Georgie traded off waking me up every hour. 

Oliver didn't want to ride his new wheely bug, didn't want to look at his stocking and really wanted no part of anything except some cheerios and juice. Once he got a little something in his belly though he started to come around. But I annoyed him with my camera and he promptly told me "no taking pictures". Georgie on the other hand was having the time of her life despite practically being up until 4 am. She was just loving the new shape sorter and sensory balls to no end. 

As the day progressed so did the mood, Oliver livened up 

(of course the day was still sprinkled with 2 year emotions) and we watched Christmas movies and played with our new puzzles and toys. 

My best present was a pack of Norwex travel sized enviro cloths that have provided us with a great way to keep things disinfected around here, I leave a damp one on the coffee table and we periodically wipe our hands and everything else we have touched with it. Hopefully it will help keep these nasty germs from spreading to Georgie and I! Please let it be so,

 a teething baby with the flu while being sick with the flu.... I can't even let my mind go there.

Photo dump from our weekend and from this morning.

And so our Christmas 2012 was filled with merriment and then some not so merry moments. 

Our first Christmas as a family of four and our best present is getting to spend the rest of the week together without any hustle bustle and hopefully without any illness!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. 

ghill life lately

and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

(finally) although I'm totally fine if we have another winter like last year.

It makes driving much easier then trekking through snow storms, especially with 2 wee ones.

But we Canucks like ourselves a white Christmas,

green ones just don't feel the same!

So snow if you are coming then stick around for a few days,

you can leave again on the 26th!

1/. backyard snowfall

2/. bright sun on a dark morning....ahhh two year olds!

3/. this curl

4/. I've created an ipad monster/thief

5/. stashing presents like my parents used to do... I never snooped I SWEAR

6/. perusing flyers- apparently you can never start too early.



give a little

After the horrifying events in Connecticut, 

I have been unable to shake that achy sad feeling. 

Unable to process that we really live in a world that can take 

20 innocent children and 6 heroic women in such an unfathomable way. 

And unfortunately this is just the most recent (publicized) atrocity, 

there are crimes and injustices committed against innocent people everyday. 

I needed to do something selfless and good and human.

So this year instead of loading up stockings for Guy and I like I normally would, 

I put together 4 stockings (one representative for each member of our family) to take to our local charity the House of Blessing. I packaged up some new pajamas, clothing, toys and treats as well. 

Yesterday I delivered the packages and the woman working was beyond thankful for our donation. 

Insisting on taking my information so they could send us a thank you card which was totally unnecessary and totally sweet. My heart felt good. When giving her my information, she paused after I told her my last name (which I thought was weird) but when I got into the office just a short time later my mom told me that her and my dad were going shopping for the local food bank. I realized this lady had probably just spoken to my dad  before I came! In our small community of about 30,000 people this food bank feeds about 500 families a month, so out my parents went to purchase supplies

 that will fully stock their shelves. My heart felt good. 

My sister has a Christmas tree at work that has names of children that are less fortunate. Her and the other employees at her company have been piling up the gifts under the tree to take every one of those names off the tree. To give each one of them something to open on Christmas morning. 

I have been reading stories about Paying it forward in our community. Stories about local people doing random acts of kindness for random strangers. I'm addicted to it actually, I usually get a bit weepy over them because they are so genuine, such pure acts of goodness. And they aren't about spending a lot of money, they are about taking a moment to think about someone else before yourself. 

About how giving a little means can mean receiving so much for that person. 

So this Christmas while we are enjoying our little ones, holding them close, watching them open their gifts with excitement and eating our plentiful dinner(s). We can rejoice in the real spirit of Christmas, in knowing that we have paid it forward and sent blessings to others when we have received so many.

This Christmas I urge you to give the gift of humanity, your heart will thank you for it! 

A Day(s) of Action

October 19th, 2012 was called a social media Day of Action,

The Association of Ontario Midwives asked for support

 in urging our Government to get back to the table to negotiate a contract.

That's right the Midwives of Ontario have been working

with an expired contract since April 1, 2011.

Since then they have caught over 25,000 babies without a contract (including Georgie).

They are paid well below other health care professionals with similar education and responsibilty.

For example the average midwife earns about $65,000/year

while a salaried nurse makes $78,000 (based on 2009 reports).

According to an article written by Macleans's

 "Seven years ago was the last time Ontario midwives’ salaries saw a significant one-time adjustment–and even that came after a decade-long of pay-freeze."

Midwives provide safe, skilled and community based care, they have the highest satisfaction rate of any maternal care provider in the province and do so while saving Ontario money.

So if I know this and now you know this,

why doesn't the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care know this?

And why aren't they getting running back to the table to negotiate? 

Midwives provide care to about 20,000 mothers and babies which equates to about 14% of newborns born in the province. A number that is only rising as is the demand for Midwives. In fact 4 out of 10 women seeking a midwife are unable to access one in Ontario. And while our province has invested in Midwifery programmes, it has NOT invested in the Midwives themselves. 

And that's what we need to worry about.
We need to worry that Ontario will lose qualified midwives to other areas and that we won't attract new graduates to stay here, if we let this continue. Why enter into a profession with inequitable pay and no contract?  So how do we protect a health care profession that provides quality care for mothers and babies (whilst being cost-effective for the province) from being continually neglected by our Government? 
We speak up, we write letters to our Health Minister demanding a change. 

Because choosing Midwives just makes "CENTS"!

I am passionate about Midwifery and Midwives for several reasons.
My low-risk, "normal" pregnancies remained that way under their care. My uncomplicated, natural vaginal births were kept that way under their care. My babies were born in the comfort of my home because they are trained to deliver there. My midwives came to me several times within the 1st week to do the necessary assessments, which besides being totally convenient for me and my baby 
also saves the province money. 

My midwife knew my name, she knew my husband name. She knew my children's names.

On the two most important days of my life (here, here and here), my midwife was there.
Which is something that was not lost on them I promise you.

You see by my previous posts here and here that my love for midwives is no secret!
But the arrival of my little girl this past April has made even more passionate about Midwifery and about ensuring that its a viable option for her when she is starting a family. I want Georgie to have access to the same wonderful care I received when giving birth to her.

 After the AOM started the Back to The Table campaign, more than 200 emails were written to Minister Deb Matthews (including mine!) as well as over 150 photos of babies born without a contract sent in and their video viewed more than 1500 times! Recently the AOM had a productive meeting with the Health Minister and are hopeful for contract negotiations to resume. 

The point is we are not powerless. Our voices can be heard but we must continue voicing them. Protect your options. Protect our healthcare. Protect women and babies. Protect Midwifery. Protect MIDWIVES. 

song of the week

Eeeks- seems like I've missed a few weeks! 

This week's song is Wolf (the bonus track) on First Aid Kit's Album 

The Lion's Roar.

Other favourites on this album are King of The World,
The Lion's Roar and Emmylou.

Piddle Me This

We are officially potty training!
With great results some days and not so great results other days.
Again I need to thank my lucky stars for our incredible daycare provider Kelly!
Her expertise and consistent efforts paid off (again). Oliver has been going regularly at Kelly's house for a quite some time but wouldn't even go near the bathroom at our suggestion of trying the potty at home. Guy and I were getting a little antsy about the situation (ok ok mostly me). I think back to just after we had him and we were talking about milestones- when would he would roll over and sit up, crawl, walk and talk. We totally thought he would be potty trained at about 18 mths (because boys tend to be a little later starting than girls....). HA! We know nothing obviously while those may be realistic for some kids it certainly wasn't on the mark for us! He has even taken to going by himself now, "No ME do it, you go over there!" Finger pointing to the hallway. "Close the door!" he says. I guess I can respect the need for privacy, although I would like to remind him that I haven't privacy in the bathroom since he was born....Slowly but surely though we are conquering the potty hurdle.

So in honour of his "accomplishments" I have superhero undies for our super potty hero!

I just can't believe how grown up he is-2 1/2 going on 20 I tell you!

Is it weird that I am getting weepy over big boy undies?