by lisa@lisacanning.ca | Dec 30, 2016 | Lifestyle Design
We are thrilled to share the news that just before Christmas we welcomed baby James, our 6th baby, into the world! It has been a whirlwind of an adjustment period- so much joy, so much chaos, so many children home from school (!!!) and so many cuddles with this incredible small person.
We have now done this six times. Six times we have made the trek downtown to the hospital (almost always in the middle of the night!), six times I have laboured and pushed out of my body a brand new member of our family. Six times I have felt a joy that overwhelms my entire being and makes me love my husband more than I thought possible. And six times I have marveled at the miracle of life as I have held a tiny little person.
The story this time, in true Lisa fashion, is somewhat eventful… (Side note: for more fun baby tales here are the posts for the births of John, Evelyn, Leo, Rose, and Joseph)
Dec 20 7pm: Standing in line at HomeSense with a final stack of pillows to finish off a fun project in Markham. Absolutely started feeling contractions. In HomeSense. In a line up a hundred people long. Because everyone is buying Christmas presents on December 20.
7:30: I am out of HomeSense and need to decide if I have time to drop the pillows off at the client's house, or if I should go straight to the hospital.
7:45: At client's house and I am arranging pillows on the sofa (even though I texted ahead of time and said I was pretty sure I was in labour and would only drop them at the front). Client and I both agree I am crazy and it is time for me to leave, STAT.
8pm: I am definitely contracting and heading south toward the hospital. However, it is also my mom's birthday! And it was my idea for us to enjoy a really nice, relaxed dinner, just the grown ups (which is rare for us to do)! Do I pull off the highway and join them for a minute?
8:15pm: Fully got off the highway and say to myself I will only stay if I can get parking right at the front and will only sit down for a minute.
8:20pm: Guess who found parking literally at the front of the restaurant entrance! It's a miracle! I waddle in to see my family who are all looking at me like I am nuts.`
8:30pm: I sit down and literally cannot decide what to do. I am so hungry, but I am also fully contracting. And it is an all you can eat thai buffet. ALL YOU CAN EAT. And I could eat all the things.
8:45pm: My entire family agrees I am crazy, because I am fully in labour but am trying to decide if I have time to eat some popcorn shrimp or not. My brother-in-law very stealthily sneaks popcorn shrimp into my coat pocket and they all kick me out. I call my husband and tell him to pack the bags! We have no bags packed because it is a full 2 weeks before my due date.
9pm: I get home, but I am in total denial I am in labour (I WANT TO EAT MORE POPCORN SHRIMP!), although I am fully contracting every 5 minutes. Because my doctor has put the fear of God in my that this baby will FLY OUT since it is my sixth one in eight years basically, I know it's time to make our way downtown.
10pm: At hospital, checked in, still in relatively little pain although I can feel the contractions are getting stronger.
11pm: Since I am not in a ton of pain I debate doing this whole labour thing without an epidural. Never done it au naturale before, might be fun to try?!?
11:05pm: I hear a woman screaming in the room next to me in a ton of pain. Debate over.
12am: Epidural comes and I slip into a wonderful, drug induced sleep.
5:30am: I wake up fully dilated and it is time to push. 3 contractions later and we meet our baby boy!!!
The transition back home has been beautiful chaos. If you'd like to see what our first week was like check out my brand new vlog!
Our hearts are full (as are our coffee mugs, lol!). We are so totally in love. Thank you for sharing in our joy!!!!!
by lisa@lisacanning.ca | Jun 1, 2015 | Lifestyle Design
Just over a week ago we had our 5th baby and it has been an interesting week to say the least! As I have eluded to on some of my instagram posts it has definitely been a transition, growing our family from 4 kids to 5, and I am in need of my own motivation! So this blog post is for all those new moms out there, whether for the first time or adding to your fam. I stand in solidarity with you!!!
TIP 1: RECALIBRATE YOUR EXPECTATIONS
This is a hard one, especially if you're used to performing at a really high capacity. Or just enjoy doing things uninterrupted, lol. But try your best to RELAX. Enjoy this time. Let projects go, let your standards for house tidyness go longer than you normally would (really hard for me!), and REST. I struggle with this but trust me, force yourself to just relax. Your body needs it, your mind needs it and your baby needs it. So take a deep breath, close your eyes and LET GO. Resting and bonding with baby are kind of crucial in the early days- remember giving birth is tons of physical work and you need to recoup!
TIP 2: MAKE SMALL SIMPLE GOALS
Letting go of everything makes me feel totally crazy… so I love to make small, manageable goal lists. I am gentle on myself if I don't get them done, but I do make them. Daily lists for me are like 3-4 things and include simple things like taking a shower, updating my instagram account, reading a chapter of a book, clearing out a junk drawer, being quiet for 15 minutes to pray. Your personal list will look totally different- but the point is if you make a small goal, even if it is as simple as taking a shower, and then meet it- you will feel accomplished and can help break up the sleepless grogginess that can happen in first days of a new baby.
TIP 3: LIVE IN YOUR STRENGTHS
The emotions you can have when you have a new baby can be kind of extreme at times. Personally, I have vacillated between completely elated and so happy to totally destitute there wasn't enough milk to top up my coffee. The combination of hormones, sleep deprivation, other children wanting your attention if you are in that situation, and more hormones, can make you feel crazy and not yourself. So when I am feeling down, I turn to my Strengths Finder assessment of my top 5 strengths and I try to do something within them. For example, Strategy is my number 2 strength- which means I LOVE taking a big picture and thinking through the best outcomes, connections, strategies to satisfy a goal. This past week my husband had something he had to sort out for work and we chatted about it for 30 minutes while I was nursing- and boy did it instantly elevate my mood. While you are off with baby might be a great time to do your assessment too! Zero affiliate or personal gain for me here- I just really think this is a transformative tool for people who want to be happier, productive and more engaged.
TIP 4: KISS YOUR HUSBAND
Yes, childbirth is a ton of work, both physically and mentally. But dads have to work hard too- they take care of us and if you've got other kids like me, dads will be pretty occupied with them. I think it's easy to forget how hard dads have to work too. So kiss them- the endorphins released are good for everyone : )
TIP 5: REMEMBER IT IS A SEASON
As a mom who has done this 5 times now, I can PROMISE you that the hard seasons pass. The sleepless nights pass, colic babies sort themselves out eventually, and a new normal is established that I promise is worth every challenge. I think parenthood is the cure for selfishness- it forces you to live outside of yourself, put others first, be humbled by lack of control- it is a good thing. And this time, when they are newborn and sweet and tiny and so vulnerable- trust me again when I say time goes by so so fast. Treasure this time.
TIP 6: YOU MIGHT NOT FEEL LIKE "YOUR OLD SELF," AND THAT IS A GOOD THING
As I mentioned previously new baby time can make you feel kinda crazy- sleep deprivation and hormones and emotions in general can kind of play tricks on your psyche and absolutely make you not feel like yourself. And there are totally times when this is serious (I definitely had post partum blues with my 4th child immediately after giving birth) and you should chat with your doctor about it. But in other cases, the "I wishes" might creep in- I wish I could do X again.. I wish I could feel like this again… I wish I wish I wish… and some wishes are totally normal, like feeling fit or wanting more energy. But I challenge you to adjust your expectations and accept that things will never go back to the way they were before- and that is a REALLY GOOD THING. You have brought a human being into the world who is unique, unrepeatable, that has so much value. This little person will teach you so much about yourself, will increase your capacity to love, will challenge you to be the best version of yourself I argue. And yes there are hard parts about it, both physically and emotionally- but I would not trade this time for anything. I am 100% a better person as a result of having children, and while life with 5 under the age of 7 is absolutely crazy sometimes, when I witness love diffused and offered in a multitude of ways, when I witness sacrifice offered in a multitude of ways, when I think of how selfish I was when I was a single person and how much better my marriage is as a result of having kids- it is all worth it. Not feeling like my "old self" is a good thing.
What are your tips for getting through the first groggy days of parenthood with a newborn? Love to know your tips!
by lisa@lisacanning.ca | Jan 30, 2015 | Lifestyle Design
Firstly, a few brief words about my earlier post this week on how mental illness has touched our marriage. Thank you for reading, sharing, and for the words of support and words of solidarity. Let's keep talking : )
Today I'm talking about something equally personal. I am very thrilled to share that we are pregnant! Yes- again! Baby #5 incase you lost count (easy to lose count with us). So to enter the weekend I offer my very first fashion post on Dressing the Bump: Volume 5.
I love being pregnant. Obviously it has its challenges but I really do treasure this time. However, I used to really not treasure finding clothing that fit and made me feel good. Being pregnant 5 times I have traversed the market for trendy, well made, well priced maternity wear. What I have found is you either have to spend hundreds for well designed stuff, or if you want to be budget conscious you are getting really basic, super casual, kind of boring stuff- or stock is limited so for the good stuff your size is gone super fast. A retailer that has not disappointed me all 5 times has been Thyme Maternity. As I have worked pretty much all the way through my pregnancies, finding on-trend items where I can look polished and feel great (which can be super hard when you feel like a blimp) is such a treat.
This patterned shirt is great as it coordinates with other items in my wardrobe- love being able to wear regular staples from my wardrobe through my pregnancy like this blazer.
Blazer: Smythe. Shirt, Citzens Maternity Jeans: Thyme Maternity. Bracelet: Niki and Lola. Necklace: Tessa and Olivia. Shoes: Steve Madden.
Check back most Fridays for how I will be dressing the bump for the next few months of my pregnancy. We are so excited for another little Canning!!!!
Thanks to Thyme Maternity for partnering with me during this very special time and to Mdd Photography for capturing my growing bump!
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