Sunday, February 26, 2012

Review:: Sterling Inn & Spa

We went away for Valentine's Day.  Our first night away without the Bug.  It was so tough to leave her, more for me than DH, but breastfeeding and co-sleeping are two of my favorites things.  The best ways to spend time with my baby.

We went back to the hotel where we went for our honeymoon two and a half years ago.  Sterling Inn & Spa in Niagara Falls.  It was comforting to know we were just a short drive away if we needed to get home quickly or if I just missed her too much and wanted to come home... Didn't happen though :)

Sterling is a beautiful hotel.  They refer to themselves as a "Boutique Hotel" and they definitely live up to it.  From the moment you walk into the lobby,with the grand staircase, the fireplace and the modern decor, you feel the richness and luxury.  Everything seems so upscale and posh, I was worried about feeling out of place as an average mom but the staff are amazing.  Everyone is warm and welcoming, they all go above and beyond to make your stay special.

Like I said before, we stayed at Sterling for our honeymoon.  When I called to book our room the gentleman asked how we had heard about the hotel, I told him we had stayed there previously.  I don't know if he looked up what room we had stayed in or if it was pure coincidence, but we got the exact same room.  Walking in the door felt like coming home.



And then there is that bathroom, that everyone dreams about... A shower that you could fit about ten people in and a bathtub that is definitely made for two::



They also have a mini-kitchen, complete with sink, coffee machine, and mini fridge::

Another great service that Sterling provides is complimentary breakfast in bed.  The put a door hanger in your room, you choose what time you would like it delivered and the options you would like (coffee, tea or both; apple juice, orange juice or both; etc) and then hang it outside your door by 8pm::

And this is what arrived the following morning at 9:45 (the latest time we could choose)::

 Overall, our stay was fantastic and I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a quick, romantic getaway or even an extended stay.  The price is phenomenal for what you get, and the stay is much more appealing than some of the other chain hotels.

Check back tomorrow for my review of the restaurant inside the hotel AG Inspired Cuisine

Saturday, February 25, 2012

What's your favorite recipe?

With the Bug joining us at the theoretical table (we got rid of our dining room table as there is just no space for it) we realized we need to start cooking more and not eating "ready to eat" meals.  Since DH's car accident we have mostly been living off of M&M's and other frozen meals.  Before meeting Chef Husband, I knew nothing about cooking.  I could boil up some pasta, throw some Ragu on it and call it a meal.  I ate out, I ate KD, I survived.  Now I am slowly finding cooking enjoyable as I learn new skills in the kitchen.

This has inspired a new blog series of trying new recipes.  We hope to try something new at least once a week. 

On today's menu::  Slow Cooker BBQ Chuck Roast!  Kind of like pulled pork but with beef.  Recipe to come if it's good ;)

I'm also going to do some tried and true favorites today::  Banana bread and muffins, carrot muffins with cream cheese frosting, and a quadruple batch of Winter Vegetable Soup.

Yes, quadruple!!
There are some people (a few friends and a family I don't know yet) who are going through extremely difficult times and shouldn't have to worry about cooking and meals.  Hopefully they will enjoy the soup as much as we do!

What is your favorite thing to cook/bake?  Want to share your recipe and be featured on my blog?  Send me an email with your recipe:: chroniclesofpblog@gmail.com!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Shouting From The Rooftops

I just got the best phone call of my life.

My Oma is cancer FREE!!  No more chemo, no more surgery!

I am so happy, I just need to shout it from the rooftops!


Monday, February 20, 2012

Family Day Visitor

I don't get to see my sister very often.  She lives in Kitchener, she is in school full time and she works part time.  I live in Hamilton, have a one year old, an injured husband and I also work part time.  Our schedules don't match up often to include an hour drive each way. 

Auntie Vika came to visit today!!  My little Bug just LOVES her auntie!  I am almost forgotten except when she wants food.  It's fine though, I love watching them interact and play.  They have been playing the same stacking game for about 20 minutes and I love the laughter I can hear from over my shoulder as I write this post


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

an angel, gone before her time

{Bianca Nowakowska ~ An angel taken much too soon}
 
 



{Bianca and her aunt Magda}



 Please keep this family in your prayers
 RIP Bianca and Joanna

A Place Where Children Are 

What kind of place would heaven be 
With all its streets of gold,
If all the souls, that dwell up there
Like yours and mine, were old?

How strange would heaven's music sound 
When harps begin to ring,
If children were not gathered 'round 
To help the angels sing. 

The children that God sends to us 
Are only just a loan, 
He knows we need their sunshine 
To make the house a home. 

We need the inspiration 
Of a baby's blessed smile. 
He doesn't say they've come to stay,
Just lends them for a while. 

Sometimes it takes them years to do
The work for which they come. 
Sometimes in just a year or two 
Our Father calls them home. 

I like to think some souls up there 
Bear not one sinful scar.
I love to think of heaven as 
A place where children are.

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Depression is a Four Letter Word

Yesterday (technically as it is after midnight) was Bell's "Let's Talk Day".  It is inspiring that a huge company has taken the initiative to raise awareness about mental illness in Canada and all over the world.  I have been hearing the commercials on the radio and I think to myself, that is me.  Because of the stigma I have avoided talking about it, I have avoided getting help.  It ends now.

As I sit here writing this I wonder if I will have the courage to hit publish.  Will I post this entry to the blog's  facebook page?  Do I really want everyone to read this?  Can I really make myself that open and vulnerable?  If it will help someone else, yes.  I can do it.  I hope...

This isn't easy.  I've written a line and deleted about five times now... I guess I'm stalling.  I don't know where to start.

Depression is a four letter word.  It has become a swear word in our society.  No one says it, no one talks about it.  And especially not postpartum depression.  Every mother wants to be perfect.  We all want to be the one that other moms look at and say "she's got it all together".  I've learned in the past year that the moms that seem the most put together are usually the ones that aren't.  We become pros at putting on a show, I am guilty of that 100%.

My little bug was an angel baby.  We had our moments of exhausted frustration, but looking back she was quite easy.  She only cried when she needed something, she didn't have gas or colic.  She was never sick in her first year, not counting one eye infection when she was 1 week old due to a blocked tear duct.  The first few months weren't too bad.

I look back and wonder when I started feeling this way?  I recently read somewhere that major life changes while pregnant and within the first year can increase your chances for postpartum depression.  Did one of the events in my life trigger this?  Or did it all just snowball and come on gradually as each stress built up on my shoulders?  When was the breaking point?  Or was there one?

  • DH was in a car accident when I was 4.5 months pregnant.  Long story short - his injury was missed, surgery didn't work, other complications arose and he is still dealing with ankle and shoulder problems.  Almost 2 years later, there is no end in sight.
  • My Oma, whom I am extremely close to, had some health scares.  She underwent surgery to remove half her liver when I was 7 months pregnant followed by several rounds of chemo and getting diagnosed with lung cancer.  I moved in with her and Opa to help them out, leaving behind my life in Kitchener.  Family comes first.
  • We bought a condo when Oma was doing better.  Moving in the middle of winter with a 5 week old is not easy.
  • When Bug was 8 weeks old my Nana lost her battle with cancer.  The same progression as Oma:: colon, liver, lungs.  I had only seen her once in the previous 11 years and she didn't get to meet my baby.  That brought up a lot of issues that I thought had been resolved and also a lot of fear for Oma's future.  We traveled to BC for her memorial and it was very hard on me.  The guilt of not having more time with her was overwhelming and it still is at times.
I can't change the course of events, if we could change the past the world would be a much different place.   I just wonder where it all went wrong?

I feel like I'm failing.  Like I am not suited for motherhood.  I feel like the Bug deserves someone better.  Someone who wants to play with her and learn with her.  Someone who is present.  I find that it goes up and down, I have moments where I love playing with her, laughing with her and just watching her be.  And I have moments where I don't want to be in the same room, I have no patience and everything upsets me.  DH and I have a lot more arguments than we ever have.  I cry over things that normally wouldn't upset me, and sometimes I don't even know why I'm crying.

The worst is the guilt.

We weren't planning on having a baby so soon, we got pregnant 6 months after getting married.  I was halfway through college and on the pill.  When I thought I had the flu and it lasted longer than it should have I went to the doctor and found out we were expecting.  At the time I embraced it wholeheartedly, on good days I still do.  In my worst moments, I wish it hadn't happened.

I feel lost, I just want to find my way to happiness.  To being a better mother for this sweet little girl.

I have a very hard time asking for help.  I want to be good at everything.  I can't do it anymore though, I am going to see a professional and hopefully I can work through all of this and find myself again.

My advice if you are struggling:: Ask for help!  Find a mom's group in your area!  I was feeling very alone, but I have found an amazing mom's group full of women who are extremely supportive and give great advice.  Talk to someone.  Email me, chroniclesofpblog@gmail.com

Resources for Postpartum Depression::