The weather has shifted and Fall is in the air. While I’m sad to say goodbye to summer, especially the long days and warm weather, I find that I’m welcoming the transition to another season this year a little more than most years. I was trying to figure out why that is and I realized it has a huge part to do with my confidence in this whole mom thing. There has been a shift and I think we are entering a new phase. Things feel a little calmer than they did in the first few weeks of summer when Baby N was brand new, and as we are approaching the three month mark, I have been feeling like the ‘real me’ and not just some imposter with a newborn. Life is now back to something that resembles my old life, but now my new life involves the most adorable smiley little sidekick. I’m back in my pre-pregnancy pants. I’m not going to lie, that feels great. I’m getting some baby-free time too for things I enjoy, like yoga, and that is such a gift. D is happy to watch the little guy and I am happy to get a break.

This past week was a good example of where I am at now versus when Baby N was new on the scene. At the start, I would get out lots but always with the baby, and stick close to home. That gradually started to change and now we are working on finding the right balance. This past week I made it to the hair salon (Suki’s Downtown) and changed my hairstyle up a bit (shorter, not shockingly so though) while D was on baby duty. I made it to a couple of yoga classes at YYoga, took the little guy to Chambar for lunch with my friend P, and I had a baby-free dinner at L’Abattoir with my friend R where I got to wear one of my favorite dresses and a fun pair of heels. D and I played the parent version of baby roulette by taking N to the Alt-J concert at Deer Lake Park this past Saturday. Amazingly, it was smooth sailing and we got to watch the entire show when Baby N was sound asleep in the Baby Bjorn carrier wearing his Baby BanZ earmuffs (ordered through Amazon). I met up with friends throughout the week for coffee dates and seawall strolls, we had brunch with friends at Commune Cafe, and went to a cocktail party on the weekend. We opened up a bottle of Cab Franc from Hester Creek last night that’s been sitting in our place since our trip to the Okanagan last September and got to enjoy it with steak and a few episodes of Episodes on Netflix. On the most basic level, I also managed to paint my toe nails, blow dry my hair, make meals, try on clothes at Kate Spade, and shower daily. Don’t laugh if you don’t have kids, these things are not to be taken for granted.

So, getting back to what I started out saying about changing seasons. I guess my optimism about this new season is tied to my optimism that the blur of having a new baby that was summer has morphed into a new stage where my life is picking up where it left off. I’m not just focused solely on feeding and diaper changes, and trying to fit in sleep whenever I can. Yes, those things are still important. But I’m able to do more than just that these days. The season is changing outside, and in our house, the season is changing too.

xo
Karine