Monday, June 15, 2020

Reset


My little sidekick.


Strapped in and ready to go. And wherever Bella goes her little leopard "Cub" comes along too.

So virus or no virus, we're still out here doing what we always do in the summer. And it's more important now than ever.


We're getting out and moving around.


Take me here. Take me there. Take me anywhere, as long as we're together, right?


We're very fortunate to live next to so many trails and conservation areas. There's plenty to see and do around these parts.


You still need to grow into that bike, Bella. But you'll get there eventually.

Right now we're all trying to stay active as much as possible. Breathe in some fresh air and clear your head. Getting outside and moving around is like hitting the 'reset' button on the anxiety and overwhelming thoughts. And I've had to hit that button constantly since the lock-down began.


All of my worries, doubts and frustrations get eliminated here. I pull em out, and push em out, until I'm physically beat-down. Weight training is crucial to my well-being.


What I put into my body is just as important. I want to be quick on my feet, I want to be lean, and I want to feel good. So eating quality food is another thing I make sure not to neglect.


Bella knows that her dad needs his time and space. I need the time to do my job, a space to focus, and a time during the day to exercise on my own. I learned early on (during our NICU days) that parents need to take a step back in order to reset and recharge.

A frustrated parent will never set a good example. A tired or weak parent can't always be the best. So sometimes I need to put myself first, because that's one sure way of giving this girl the best version of her dad.


As soon as this lock-down started I knew that I had to make some major adjustments. And I figured out just what I needed in order to maintain my mental, physical, and emotional health.

Now I can definitely say that I'm mentally stronger and more physically capable than I've ever been in years. And there's no looking back. This changes everything.

Through it all


Bath time.


Bubbles.


Play time.


A beautiful morning stroll.


Fist bump.


Cool down.


Wonder.


Pony tails and all.


Drawing.


Helping.


Learning.


Those moments big and small.


Adventures.


Battles.


Struggles.


I promise we'll get through it all.

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Let's get lost together


A smirk.


Something to play with.


Something to get lost in.


Some place to run to.


Something to smile about.


Someone to goof with.


Something to celebrate.


A reason to get me out.


Don't ever stop doing what you're doing, Belle.
I owe you.

Love,
Dad

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Light and dark



What does it mean to live a good life?





Does hardship make a person stronger?








Dedicated to K.Cichon

We fight with you. We love you and pray with you.
💕

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Strange times


I can never have a bad day when I'm around you, Bella. You're so sweet and fun. I just want to squeeze you constantly.


We had a great time together this winter. Your mom and I would bundle you up in tons of layers and we'd hit the neighbourhood.



You were all about making snow angels. It was fun to watch you get into it. You'd plop yourself down at any given moment, throw your hands and legs up, and move them all around. It was quite the sight 😂 



We did everything we could do this winter to make it fun. And it was!
 

We made tents.


We watched Disney's Frozen.


We made drawings. We coloured.

 

We made all kinds of arts and crafts.


We had picnics.


We pretended to be superheroes with capes and glasses.


We had tons of bubble baths. We basically did everything we could think of to pass the time during the cold winter days.


As the snow began to melt, we started to slowly put away the winter sleds and snow suits. 


 

All winter long we were anxious about Bella catching a cold or the flu. We were careful about where we went out. We were beyond crazy, as usual. We even stayed away from our friends and family a lot of the time, in order to limit Arabella's exposure.


We sacrificed a lot this past winter, like we do every winter. And as the weather improved, we started coming out of our shells. 


It felt so good to be out there again. Ladies and gentlemen, WE WERE BACK.



And err...we were back, for a little bit, at least. 



At the same time a lot of people here (and around the world) started to get really sick. We couldn't do the things we'd normally do. Suddenly there was no more parks. No more seeing family. No more outings. 


We had to retreat into our homes again.


We know what it's like to shut ourselves out from the world. We do it every winter. And I don't wish that kind of fear on anyone, but here we are. It is what it is. 


I can tell you that it truly sucks to live with that type of anxiety (that your loved ones might get sick). But among all the uncertainty in the world right now, we can only control a few things: ourselves, our emotions, and our home. 


So we'll keep doing what we're good at. 


And that's getting lost in the fun.


Since we can't go to the zoo and see the giraffes...
 

We'll pretend we're at the zoo.


We'll create our own playgrounds. 



We'll get into all our favourite toys.


We'll exercise at home to keep ourselves in shape.


We'll work from home. 


We'll Skype and FaceTime with our family so we don't feel disconnected. 



I don't know about you guys, but we were made for this. We've been living in similar circumstances every winter since Arabella was born. And I can tell you right now, you learn to make the best of it. 



Take a page out of Arabella's book and relax. Stay home. Throw on your favourite TV show and put your feet up. 


Get silly!
 


Get silly over and over again.


If you're reading this, I hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy. Don't get lost in the hysteria. Stay grounded and we'll get through this strange and difficult time. 

All our love,
Daniel, Kiera and Arabella
💜💜💜