Comments on: 365 Days of August: Lessons From a Year of Parenting

By: Kate Arends

Kate Arends — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:29:02 +0000

In reply to Kate. Kate- We're pretty transparent and clear about what posts part of a collaboration with brands, in fact, it is stated at the top and bottom of each post. We're sharing our own experiences in collaboration with a brand that shares our values, not giving a product review. Kate

By: Kate Arends

Kate Arends — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:26:02 +0000

In reply to Pauline. I've got to check out that app!

By: Kate Arends

Kate Arends — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:24:45 +0000

In reply to Caroline Royce. Thank you so much for sharing Caroline! I totally relate on having a hard time grasping what we actually remember and what we capture. I just want to bottle every second up!

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 23:36:45 +0000

I felt duped by discovering I was reading an ad.

By: Rosa Wiverlly

Rosa Wiverlly — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 17:11:53 +0000

I loved these photos, I also think so, there is never a way to capture the emotions!

By: Caroline Royce

Caroline Royce — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 01:29:50 +0000

I commented on your IG the other day, but I relate SO MUCH to this. I’m caught between wanting to be fully in the moment, but also document everything 100% of the time because I know I’m not going to remember it all after a while. Just this morning I thought to myself that I have to get a picture of my son’s face when I open up his nursery door first thing in the morning. It’s pure joy. He’s 8.5 mos, and I can’t really tell how I feel about it. Those days that were so hard are past, I got through them. While I was in them it felt glacial. And he’s starting daycare in 1.5 months. Somehow, I’m like “Oh my time with my little boy is over. I’ll never have THIS period back” but I still have 6 or some weeks left! It’s that thing of living in the moment but already looking to the next thing. I so much want him to just stay this size for like 2 more years and then he can start growing again.

Sometimes I wonder if I really remember what he looked like when he was just a wee thing, or if I’m just seeing the pictures of him in my head and fabricating memories. Ultimately, I’m grateful I took so many photos. That time is such a blur, and they grow so fast.

It’s funny, when he was littler and even more dependent, I was so hungry for adult interaction and to do work and get paid. Then we turned a corner and now I want to spend more time with him as he grows and becomes a little person but our time is coming to a close. Motherhood is so complex.

Happy Momiversary!

By: Pauline

Pauline — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 06:55:52 +0000

Congratulations on your first year! My baby boy is a few months away from turning one, as well. I remind myself that this moment will soon become a memory – it pulls me into the present to savor it. I love watching videos of him and have been logging major moments daily in the Day One app. It’s incredible how difficult it is to remember details from a week ago.

By: Kate Arends

Kate Arends — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 15:13:28 +0000

In reply to Sarah Hina. You are so right about little video clips. They're the ones I watch over and over and over when I'm away from home... or when I miss him while he's sleeping. xo

By: Kate Arends

Kate Arends — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 15:11:44 +0000

In reply to Jill. I feel you, Jill! I'm thinking about starting a daily journal... just writing down a few lines a day. <3

By: Kate Arends

Kate Arends — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 15:10:44 +0000

In reply to Karen. So sweet. You're in the new baby haze right now and it's so special! Good for you for soaking it all in. <3

By: Kate Arends

Kate Arends — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 15:09:36 +0000

In reply to Rachel.

Rachel! It’s such a blur. Joe and I were saying yesterday how long the days felt… but how fast the year went. It’s really scary! Good for you for staying off your phone. I usually take Saturday or Sunday to get off it completely but still feel bad about not documenting a great day with August. I’ve been noticing that when he notices I’m working on my computer or scrolling through social media… he’ll crawl towards me, tilt his head, and wait for me to look at him! It breaks my heart. Thanks for sharing here and for coming along on this crazy journey! And yes! Cheers to year two <3

By: Kate Arends

Kate Arends — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 15:02:04 +0000

In reply to Katie. It's amazing how scent brings back so many vivid memories. I wish I could bottle it up <3

By: Meg

Meg — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 02:46:58 +0000

What a beautiful post. This may seem obvious, but when I do post photos of my two sweet boys to social media I use specific hashtags (their first and middle names). It’s always fun to click on the hashtags and see all of the posted images along with the sweet and sometimes hilarious comments from friends and family. When my first son was born (he’s 3.5 now) I suffered from severe PPD. When I look back on his photos, I see a beautiful happy boy and recognize everything I went through during that time. It’s bittersweet but powerful to acknowledge that I made it. His 1st birthday was special for so many reasons including the fact that I was finally able to recognize my own incredible strength. Mamas are superheroes. From one Super Mom to another, Happy Mama-versary!

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sun, 09 Jul 2017 00:17:40 +0000

My son is just four months old and also feel like I can’t wait for the next milestone but try to hold on to him being a baby. The beginning was so rough but since a photo can’t always capture a special moment, I like to jot down things I liked each month. Whether it’s his mullet because his hair is growing in or his new laugh, it helps me remember the small things.

By: Angelique vd Willik

Angelique vd Willik — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 06:41:24 +0000

This is beautiful. I can relate.
I lost twins.
Thought I could never have again.
Tried continually but failed.
Then one day I saw my son in a dream.
Beautiful inside out.
He was a baby and then an adult in the dream.
So I knew he’d make it.
He came unexpectedly.
Everyday I am mesmerized by him and how fast he’s developing. My love for him grows daily.
Yes 1yr and five months. Busy, fast learner. Determined. I often say..Against all odds. Birthed in prayer, bathed in love.
He calls me mommy Angy or Angel.
We do everything together. He feeds me. Helps me with cleaning and laundry. Play games. Loves nature. He repeats words right after me. We laugh a lot. He has his favourite movies.

By: Jill

Jill — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 03:48:26 +0000

I tear up every time I think about my 9 month old getting one day older… I miss that newborn but love the boy he’s becoming. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.
To help me remember, I make a family yearbook. It helps me focus on the important things each year. I don’t want to forget anything!

By: Karen

Karen — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 03:08:06 +0000

This post is beautiful and describes everything I am thinking but can’t put as eloquently while finishing out my daughter’s 7th week.
While I take pictures every day I keep thinking of living in the now and just being with her.
This might sound strange but smell and memories go hand in hand. I am trying to keep smell consistent be it lavendar at night or her bath products or the perfume I choose to keep me grounded. Someday, when I smell the perfume I am currently wearing every day I’ll be transported back to how life is right now.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 22:03:48 +0000

I’m not sure if it’s the sleep deprivation, but the first year really has been a blur. My daughter is 11 months old (and will be one year on July 31!), so I’ve really felt so much camaraderie with you as we’re both first time moms! I totally agree that the best moments but have been hard to capture on video or camera … probably because my little one gets distracted when I whip out the phone and will immediately stop blabbering or waving or doing the cute thing I’m trying to get on film (sigh, why can’t babies perform on command??). There’s been a lot of talk about mindfulness recently, and I feel like this is especially important for moms who constantly have their minds going a mile a minute! I have a sister who’s a whiz at photography and helps me take inaugural monthly photos to capture those monthly milestones, but for the most part, I’ve actually been trying to stay off my phone lately because I don’t want my daughter to start thinking my iPhone is something she has to compete with for my attention! :p Anyway, thanks for sharing about your parenting journey this year .. your candidness about the ups and downs have really resonated with me, especially in my “I have no idea what I’m doing!!” moments 😉 Cheers to year two!

By: Bridgette Dutkowski

Bridgette Dutkowski — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:59:51 +0000

In reply to Lexie.

Lexie,
Thanks for sharing your story. I had an ectopic pregnancy two years ago this month, and it was one of the hardest experiences of my life. Getting excited about a new baby one moment and then it’s all gone. My ectopic was caught early, but it didn’t make it any less painful. For me, the worst part was the randomness of the situation. I did nothing, nor could’ve I prevented it from happening.
My son was born August the year following my experience with my ectopic.
My heart goes out to you.
-Bridgette Dutkowski (Managing Director, Wit & Delight)

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:55:12 +0000

I have a 2 year old, and I still struggle with balancing being in the moment vs. capturing the moment. It’s a hard balance (if there even is one). You said the smell of the baby lotion brought you right back, and I was thinking something similar this morning. For me, is a vanilla latte. It’s one from my local coffee shop, and it’s not my favorite. But due to location I drank them a lot when my son was a newborn. I don’t have them often now, but when I do it brings me right back to those early days! And this morning I thought I should go buy one just for old time sake.

By: Lexie

Lexie — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:03:22 +0000

I am not a mom, but it has been exactly a year since I recovered from an ectopic pregnancy. Not exactly the same story, but something I am proud to have survived. When the time is right, I will become a mom. <3

By: Holly

Holly — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 16:23:23 +0000

I can relate to this so well! I am constantly excited for the next stage, while simultaneously willing time to stand still so I can have my baby little forever. It’s truly a beautiful anxious time 😊

By: Sarah Hina

Sarah Hina — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 15:57:25 +0000

I prefer quick, vlog like, videos on my phone. Capture the surroundings, describe whats going on, get some cute smiles from the bebe and then put the phone away. 30 seconds at most. They’re not ‘Instagramable’ but they are fun to look back on and just enough to spark my memories of that day/event. My daughter is starting to get the the age where we can watch some of the videos back together which has been really fun.

By: Anastasia

Anastasia — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 15:41:28 +0000

This is so beautiful! I can relate SO WELL with that anxiety about time moving by so quickly and trying to savor every precious moment before it slips through your fingers. I have a two year old and I’m a photographer and I’ve often beat myself up for not taking “real photos” of my daughter and only grabbing iPhone shots or sometimes none at all because I wanted to be present. I literally took ZERO photos at her first and second birthday! Something that has helped me not feel like I have to capture it all is asking photographer friends to take photos of my family. One of my friends photographed her first and second birthday for me so I could sit back and enjoy. Another friend traded family photos with me, I took theirs and they took ours. I think finding ways to ask other people to come in and help with capturing your family is the best!

By: Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 15:38:58 +0000

I love your photos, but you are right – there is truly never a way to capture the emotions! Happy one year parenting anniversary!
–
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com