The Time Has Come

Well, it’s officially time for me to say good-bye to spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with my little man. It’s also time to say good-bye to Monday afternoon baby group, impromptu shopping trips with Andrea, Malibu lunches with Ashley, water fun with Heather and her clan, and play dates with Kristine, Jenn, and their bundles of joy! Of course, leaving Carter is going to be the hardest part but I will miss all the rest just the same.  

What a year and a half it’s been! When we found out we were pregnant we thought the timing was perfect. Although I was at a new job I would have enough time to get comfortable with the job before being off. Of course, our little monkey had other plans. The next 7 months consisted of morning sickness that I would never wish on anyone! Although the doctors said it should get better at 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 20 weeks, etc., they were wrong!! It did ease up at the end of the pregnancy but I still had trouble if I tried to get up early and do anything. On the plus side, I got breakfast in bed, daily massages, and 12 hours sleep a day for the whole 7 months. Too bad I couldn’t save up some of that sleep for the sleepless nights that lay ahead.

On October 14, 2009 at 9:20pm (after 20 hours of labour and a C-Section) Carter McKenzie Craig was born! The next 10+ months were the hardest and best of my life. Mostly the best! Of course we had our moments (usually with Carter and I both in tears because he wouldn’t eat or sleep and Dan trying to tell the two of us it will be okay), but we spent most of the last 10 months experiencing a joy like no other. It makes the sleepless nights and missing out on nights out with friends worth it!

Taking the Just Beginnings course through the health unit was definitely one of the best things I could have done after having Carter (thanks Kelly for suggesting I do it!). I had read somewhere that it’s a good idea to join groups like Just Beginnings to find a friend or two with a baby around the same age as your own. I was lucky enough to find 9 new friends!  Every one of them have been so helpful, supportive, and understanding that I can’t even put into words what their friendship means to me! Although we are all going back to the working world over the next few months, and can’t continue to meet every Monday afternoon, I sincerely hope we all remain friends for a really long time. If only we could synchronize the next round of “cute-stuff’s.” At least we have Facebook where we can continue to ask each other questions, bounce ideas off one another, see pictures of the babes, and of course, share shopping ideas!

As I head in to the last weekend before going back to work, I am going to try to focus on the things I am so grateful for instead of what I will miss out on. I am so blessed to have a beautiful, happy, and healthy little guy and I’m so excited to watch him learn and grow. As far as jobs go, I’ve got a great one! And as many of my “mom” friends are stressing over daycare for their little ones, I realize even more how lucky we are to have Dan’s mom watching Carter for us!