Mondo Beyondo 2008 Part One: Completing

1. What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in regard to 2007?
(What did you create? What challenges did you face with courage and strength? What promises did you keep to yourself? What brave choices did you make? What are you proud of?)

My greatest achievement for 2007 was giving birth to my beautiful daughter. She has taught me that it is so much easier the second time around! She brings me such joy and after two years of trying to conceive she truly is a blessing.

My greatest discovery of 2007 was Yoga. Where have I been all these years? Living under a rock?? By far the most calming, centering, pleasurable physical and spiritual practice ever.

I’m glad I persevered with my blog(s) even though I questioned what the point was on some days. I barely had the time to blog and when I did manage to squeeze a post in nobody was reading!! But I’m, erm, above that… I blog for myself not for anyone else… I truly believe that, I truly believe that, I truly believe that….

2. What is there to grieve about 2007?
(What was disappointing? What was scary? What was hard? What can you forgive yourself for?)

I grieve the fact that I came home from hospital the same day I gave birth. In hindsight, I should have spent a night or two just to rest. I haven’t rested (in the real sense of the word) since.

I grieve that I didn’t make or sell a single handbag in 2007 and so ended up not starting my business as I thought I would.

I grieve that I let myself be pressured into stopping breastfeeding sooner than I intended to. And I’m still mad about it.

I grieve that I let myself be consumed far too often by negative energy.

I grieve that I severely neglected my faith.

I grieve that I didn’t take enough leaps of faith and act on my instincts more.

I grieve that I ‘let my body go’ and fed it junk when it was crying out for care and kindness.

But for all these I forgive myself and move on.

3. What else do you need to say about the year to declare it complete?

I may not have achieved all that I set out to at the beginning of the year but sometimes circumstances and events take over. Having a 2 hour labour and a gorgeous (now 7 month old) baby daughter more than makes up for it.

I DECLARE 2007 COMPLETE!

2008 IS MY YEAR OF AUTHENTICITY

Thank you to Andrea for this liberating exercise.

Yummy

20 Things I find really yummy

Spooning with my hubby The sound of my daughter’s laughter My Ralph Lauren driving shoes Jeans that actually fit Strolling in Paris SNOW Strawberries and cream Curling up with a good book A hot shower on a cold evening Journals Pretty coloured paper Bookshops Feeling baby KICK inside me My PDA Seeing my spring bulbs sprout Summer time Hot chocolate Me Time The smell of coffee Finding an unbelievable bargain

Time Capsule Baby Box

I am excited by a new idea which is to create a Time Capsule Memory Box for my forthcoming baby. Basically it is a box which will contain items from the day and the year s/he was born. Things I am thinking of including in it are

A newspaper dated the day s/he was born
A favourite magazine of mine from the month of their birth
A CD compilation of number one hits from the year
Their hospital tag
Their first photo or set of photos of their first 365 days
A journal I would have kept throughout their first year (and beyond)
A favourite poem or piece of writing
A novel printed in the year of their birth
Perhaps a small piece of technology from the year 2007
Their favourite toy

and so on and so forth.

I think it would make a great gift for when my child grows up. I wish I had thought of this when my daughter was born.

Have any of you done something similar? What did you put inside your Time Capsule box?

Friday Felicitations {2}

Finding my ring again after it went missing for ten days. What hurt the most was that it was a wedding anniversary gift from hubby. You can imagine my joy when I found it glinting up at me from the floor of our coat cupboard.

Celebrating the birth of babies to two of my close friends in one week.

Rediscovering the power of the Word via this wonderful gift from hubby.

Having to attend a training course for work on my day of and ending up actually enjoying it. A nice lunch was served as well!

Re-reading an old Agatha Christie mystery which I found in the local library sale for 50p!

What are your Friday Felicitations?

Getting Organised To Do Lists

My ‘Baby' List (it’s never too early)

1. Reusable nappies
2. Muslin cloths
3. Suducreme
4. Disposable nappies
5. Nappy sacks
6. Baby blanket
7. Baby grows
8. Baby wipes
9. Olive oil
10. Pre-measured pots for baby formula (after breast feeding)
11. Snuffle babes
12. Baby towel
13. Bibs
14. Toiletries
15. Moses basket (borrowing this from friend)

My ‘After birth’ list

1. Nipple shields (for breast feeding)
2. Disposable knickers
3. Maternity pads
4. Nursing bras
5. Nipple cream
6. Ear plugs (just kidding!)

My 'don't be without in hospital' List

1. Journal
2. iPod
3. Comfy nightie
4. Some munchies
5. Mobile phone – to spread the good news!

My ‘To do for Work’ List

1. Write official letter informing manager of my pregnancy and maternity leave plans.
2. Start work on hand over note

My ‘Just before I start maternity leave’ List

1. Place orders for stationary
2. Clear out my work folder
3. Set ‘out of office’ auto reply on email
4. Clear out filing folder

I am sure more things will be added to these lists as they pop up. In the meantime I am absolutely loving the baby journal I ordered, The First 1000 Days. I can't wait to start using it.

Friday Felicitations {1}

This is my first post for Friday Felicitations and it’s not as easy as I thought it would be. Friday Felicitations urges us to

‘… to help each other throw out all that negative thinking and acknowledge those
things we have to celebrate. Friday is now the day to blog your
compliments, your accomplishments, something nice someone said to you, or maybe
even something you are striving to make better. Go ahead, announce
yourself to be happy and fortunate.’

This kind of goes against all I and many of you were taught as children. I am sure we have some memory of being admonished for boasting because praise of one’s self was given that label and we were strenuously told to desist from such behaviour. Living in England doesn’t help much either as being modest and understated seems to be the watch word. So for me this project poses a bit of a challenge albeit a liberating one. So here goes:

Feeling blessed to be alive to see yet another year. So many with whom I started 2006 out with never saw it to the end. I am indeed honoured.

Finally finding my voice through my blog and summoning up the courage to put my writing out there, however clumsy. It's been a real journey of discovery for me.

Conceiving after two long years of trying. Baby has started to move around as well which just fills me with awe and wonder every time.

My husband telling me, out of the blue, that I look sexy. I cherish that as I don’t hear it very often!!

Not a great first attempt but it'll get better.

101 in 1001 - An Update

I haven’t forgotten my list. In fact there are a few more things I can cross off it:

Body and Health

*Join a Pilates class – Done!

Yes, I have! And boy, it’s a lot more difficult than I imagined it would be. I thought it was just a lot of gentle stretching exercises, which it is, but you stretch to the max! I was all aches and pains when the class was over. Makes me realise just how unfit I am.


Family – Daughter

Enrol her in Ballet Classes – Done!

And I am so glad I did. She absolutely loves it and she looks adorable in her little pink leotards and silky pick tutu. I stand by the studio doors with a silly smile slapped on my face watching her for the duration of the lesson. Hey, but so are all the other mums!

Family – Husband

Have another baby – Done! (well almost...)

I am now 7 weeks pregnant. Need I say more? But if you really want me to, go here.


*Note to self: Must remember to discuss the safety of Pilates during pregnancy with the instructor.