I’ve been very open about my experiences as an adoptee. I’ve shared my story of how an ad in a newspaper led to my adoption. I’ve shared the story of my unexpected reunion with my biological father, and what happened when I discussed adoption with my eldest when she was five. But while I’ve been candid with my friends and followers about my stories of adoption, I haven’t been so open and honest with my children. My mom used to dance around the subject of adoption when talking to strangers. “Oh, her father was African” she would say when confronted about my ethnicity. I didn’t really…

Swimming lessons are not optional for my kids. With a rushing river steps from our door, and regular family outings on our boat, learning the life skill is mandatory for the kids in our household. Unfortunately, what I thought would be a quick and easy accomplishment for my firstborn, has become a seven year battle. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again…or take a break and try again in a few years? In the beginning, swimming lessons were fun for my oldest. When she was 6 months old, a group of my mommy group friends and I signed up for Mommy and Me swimming…

Nursing is a way to connect and bond with your baby – to nurture her and to provide her with the nutrients she needs while instilling in her a sense of comfort and security. Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing, I get it. But I’m going to be honest with you, it’s not all shits and giggles (not for me anyways). In fact, there are some things that I loathe about my lovely lady lumps becoming milking teats for my ravenous baby. 1) Becoming “The Hunchback of Nursing Dame”. I used to have the dainty posture of a ballerina. Yes, my many years of hunching over a computer keyboard…

When I was younger I was obsessed with the world-renowned newborn photography of Anne Geddes. I loved how she captured the precious, peaceful images of sleeping newborns while integrating creative and artistic props and backgrounds to elevate baby portraits to beautiful works of art. It wasn’t until I became a mother that I realized just how difficult capturing such a peaceful photo of a newborn actually was. I remember attempting to recreate some of Anne Geddes’ shots with my first born, and while in my mind I thought I had nailed it, in reality…not so much. While I’ve always enjoyed taking photos, and have valued the importance…

I didn’t have an iPhone for my first two pregnancies, and to be honest, I don’t know how I survived without one. How did I get by without the ability to take, post and share bump watch pictures of my gradually-growing belly? How did I get through my previous pregnancies without the advice and support of my social network of online friends? How did I survive the late-night feedings without the distraction of a few rounds of Candy Crush? Well this time around, I’ve been taking full advantage of my beloved iPhone, and wanted to share my top picks for pregnant and new moms. Aside…

It was a long journey, but my heart is so full as I welcome into our family our newest little one – Cloey Violet Bujan. Born by scheduled C-section on May 28th, my sweet little baby girl entered this world and completed our family. THE BIRTH Due to a long list of complications that arose during my first delivery (which resulted in an emergency C-section), I had to have scheduled C-sections with my last two babies. While my last scheduled caesarian seemed like a breeze, this one went a little differently. Epidural Episode. Apparently while epidurals provide the perfect freezing/pain management for caesarian sections (the safest and most…

When I first watched this viral video, I was speechless. My heart sank and I felt as if I had failed at the simple act of enjoying life and the natural beauty that surrounds us. Was I isolating those that I love in favour of technology? Were my days wasting away amongst a sea of hash tags, likes and retweets? http://youtu.be/Z7dLU6fk9QY Ironically, the video has had 2 million Youtube views, and has been shared half a million times on Facebook, with 1.6 million likes and almost 300 comments (most of which are from people who are defending their dependence on social…