We’re halfway through the year, and I’m finally dedicating time to write this post because 2023 is a year I don’t want to forget! This was the year I learned to take things slowly and savor every moment without rushing through the experience. I didn’t chase the weekends—I enjoyed each day as they were.
Winter
By January, I was five months pregnant and feeling great. I went on a work trip to Montreal and attended the auto show. We spent most of our time at home, cherishing moments with our pups before our new arrival. We continued going out with friends, trying new restaurants, and visiting the cottage.
March was an exciting month. I was seven months pregnant but determined to squeeze in one last trip before the baby’s arrival in May. We traveled to Porto, Nazaré, and Lisbon, Portugal—one of our favorite trips in recent years. There was a baby boom among our friends this year, so after we returned home, we attended baby showers and spent as much time as possible with friends. We even went to the U.S. to buy baby supplies and prepared for May.
Spring
In April, we celebrated Scruffy’s 17th birthday with KFC, visited The Office Experience, and bravely opened the cottage one week before my due date. And then… Pierce arrived on May 18. Pierce is perfect (for us) in every way. Maybe because all my friends had warned me of what could happen, I expected the worst—but we got the best. If I had a penny for every time he didn’t sleep through the night, I’d only have two cents. Having Pierce made me want to get out more and do more, and he was such an easy baby to take everywhere.
Summer
We took Pierce everywhere. Over the summer, we spent time together as a new family of three, enjoying walks and relaxing on the dock at the cottage. In August, we booked a staycation at The Pearle Hotel in Burlington without hesitation, and we even went out for dinner while Pierce slept in his stroller.
Fall
Not wanting to skip a beat, we decided to give traveling a try and took a week-long trip to Banff and Lake Louise. There were no tears from any of us on the plane, and traveling with Pierce at five months was surprisingly easy. My parents joined us for part of the trip, which was a nice change. Pierce was happy and content throughout, whether in his carrier, stroller, or napping right on schedule. This gave us a lot of confidence in traveling with him.
Winter
With a mild winter, Pierce and I spent our days together, going on walks and visiting baby friends. He started solids in November, and it felt like all I did was cook, make sure he didn’t choke, and clean up afterward. On colder days, we visited Ripley’s Aquarium, thanks to our membership, and wrapped up the year with our first Christmas together. My uncle visited from Hong Kong to meet Pierce, and it was lovely to spend time with family.
2023 has been an incredible year. It taught me to slow down and enjoy each moment. I miss Pierce as a newborn, but every day brings new memories.
It’s like that Modern Family quote: “You know, it’s… Thing about babies, you… you fall in love with a baby with the cutest little fat folds, and then… bam… they’re gone. But it’s okay, because in its place is this… toddler with the greatest laugh on Earth. And then one day, the toddler’s gone, and in its place, a little kid that asks the most interesting questions you’ve ever heard. And this keeps going on like that, but you never get the chance to miss any of them, ’cause there’s always a new kid to take the place of the old. “
Life Outside the Inbox 