Today, I organised my scrapbooking supplies in order to prepare for upcoming workshops and crop nights I plan to attend this spring. While going through copious amounts of stickers, die cuts, pictures and other odd’s and ends, I came across a poem my Mother, Sheila Balls wrote when she first found out that we were expecting Liam. I love this poem (in fact, I had almost memorized it at one point) and reading it still fills my eyes with tears, and my heart with happiness…
Soon To Be
Child unknown but precious still
‘Neath your mother’s heart lie sleeping.
Til your birth unfolds, I will
Ask for Spirit’s gentle keeping.
Can you see us in the future
Walking through the field above?
Waters where we watched for minnows,
Listened to the morning dove?
Sun-warmed grasses sway around us,
Daisies in your little hand.
Rustling of the leaves surround us
Summer world at your command.
Looked-for child, we long to meet you,
Dream the future, talk the past.
When the ones you’ve chosen greet you,
Hold you in our arms at last.
As a relatively new Mom, I am always looking for information on babies, as they do not come with a how-to manual, which frankly, I think is wrong! Anyhow, the Baby Center website has tons of great information and articles on pre-conception, pregnancy, babies, toddlers and children! On many occasions, I found the exact information that I needed, which saved me from going completely mad in the early days of sleep deprivation and complete confusion. There is lots of useful information by topic right at your fingertips, which is always up to date, not to mention free. Nowadays, with a one-year-old, the topics I look up frequently include things such as toddler nutrition, behaviour, health and of course sleep…well, some things still haven’t changed!
While I was pregnant with my son, I was desperate to find a book on the ins and out’s (pardon the pun) of pregnancy. I came across Kaz Cooke’s “A Bun in the Oven” at our local Chapters bookstore. I don’t recall ever laughing so much at a book, let alone one about pregnancy, but this book was so funny that I immediately proceeded to the check-out. Her clever and whitty sense of humour was such a welcome read during the first few months of pregnancy, which rendered my useless after about 6 p.m. with nausea and exhaustion. Her follow-up book entitled “Kid Wrangling” is equally as amusing, while full of great information for the novice parent. I highly recommend this author and her fun writing which is full of personal anecdotes, humour as well as essential advice.
