35 Things I’ve Learned
As of a few days ago, I’ve been on this earth for thirty-five years. The math is stunning — 12,775 days, 306,600 hours. The logic of the numbers doesn’t disguise the bittersweet. My body is tingling with fear and excitement and loss. There is no way to know what percent of that time was spent doing things I loved, felt obligated to do, or were necessary. Those ticks on the clock matter, and they cannot be re-spent. Perhaps they can be made more meaningful by reflection in hopes of coming to a deeper understanding of their meaning. All those days on earth have given me a little perspective. And when…
Birth Story | Baker Felix
Baker Felix Casavant was born July 24, 2019, at 9:17pm. These were the details that we wanted to know so badly when pregnant. I could not wait to be on the other side of this pregnancy, with that baby on my chest. However, this baby made us wait, and wait, until 41 weeks, and then he sure made up for all the waiting. Going into birth for the second time, I thought I had learned three things: 1) it was going to be a very long process; 2) it was going to be exhausting, and; 3) it is so so worth it once that baby is on your chest. We…
The 31 Best Saskatoon Patios
Saskatchewanians are a people of extremes—the hottest summers and the coldest winters; months of drought and epic, light-up-the-night thunderstorms; bust to atomic boom; the kindest neighbourly smiles and roll up your sleeves, grind it out ‘til it’s done grit. Maybe it’s because we only get a few short glimpses into summer, a few months to soak up the sun, that Saskatoon folk take full advantage of the weather. Summer is extra special when you just get to taste it. And there might be no better way to enjoy summer than to sit on a patio with a cold drink in your hand and the sun blazing down on you. The…
Birth Story | Rooney Munroe
Was it July 10, 18 or maybe it was the 12? We had been trying to hide the date from so many people that sometimes we forgot the date ourselves. July 18. The day of our scheduled cesarean. The day we would finally meet our little girl. At 20 weeks, I was diagnosed with Placenta Previa (feel free to google that bad boy) and it was inevitable that I would have to deliver via cesarean. When sharing the news with friends and family, the initial question I was asked was whether or not I was sad to have missed out on the opportunity to try a vaginal delivery. But, since…
Birth Story | Sasha Elizabeth
Like many of you drawn to read this, I grew up with the lore of multiple birth stories, primarily from my mother. She delivered four LARGE babies, naturally, with each birth story having its own particular sense of drama. The most notable is delivering me, alone at the age of 19, in small-town Saskatchewan, with a doctor who had never attended a birth on his own. As a close runner-up to that, the next baby was born at 10 lbs 12 oz with shoulder dystocia (stuck shoulders) that temporarily popped her hip out of joint. So, naively, I have always assumed that I was made of the stuff of warriors,…
Father’s Day 2020
I’m lucky to have three father figures for my children to look up to. With their tender influence, I have no doubt that my children will grow up to be kind, wise souls. Grandpa G A gentle man with such a big heart. I’m in awe of his modest intelligence. He can take apart a tractor and put it together without a single glance at a manual. A trusting teacher who taught me to love the land we till. He’s loyal and loves without boundaries. He always has a warm hug ready. He craves snuggles from his grandkids, and throws them into the air with his huge farm hands to…
Birth Story | Remy Claire
My Remy Claire I had a feeling you were coming. At 38 weeks I cleaned up my desk at work even though I still had two more weeks planned at work. I had a feeling. At 12:30am on Saturday I woke to a loud crack noise and felt the warm flow of liquid fill my underwear. I shot up. I knew I had a feeling! I woke Sean up and excitedly told him my water had broke and ran to the bathroom in case more came. But after sitting on the toilet for 5 minutes nothing happened. I changed my underwear, put on an adult diaper (this wasn’t my first…
27 Black Activists and Anti-Racism Allies Sharing Knowledge and Power on Instagram
It shouldn’t have taken another death to act as the catalyst for change. No one should have had to see the life be pressed out of George Floyd. We shouldn’t have needed the gut-wrenching 911 call from Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend. We shouldn’t have needed another death, another battle. But we did. People are speaking out and speaking up, learning how to become better allies, and promising to change the way we do business. Social platforms like Instagram have given rise to all voices, including black activists screaming that black lives matter. White people need to be there to listen. If you’re white and you weren’t listening before, now is the…
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Birth Story | Hart Wilde
I didn’t appreciate a good birth story until I found out I was pregnant. After that, I became obsessed with them, asking everyone I knew to share theirs. It was weird and potentially inappropriate. Meet someone, find out they are a mother, ask them to share their birth story. I found, though, that most women loved to share. The word mother took on a whole new meaning, one I couldn’t grasp until I held my son. I have a mother, but what could it mean to be a mother? The same was true of birth. I was born, but had never given birth. The anticipation drove me wild. A nine…
Unravelling: What it Means to See Each Other
Day one of quarantine: My husband comes home from his first day of work at a new job to dinner on the table, for us and for the baby. This is unusual, as I make no claim to domesticism and rebel against it to ensure it never pins me down. My hair was done and I had makeup on. What a wife, I am! Even during a global pandemic, you see. Day two of quarantine: Husband comes home to me sobbing. I hate laundry and cooking and cleaning. I can’t believe you can leave me here ALONE! I can’t go out and I need to take care of the baby,…
