Baby Steps Forward: Changing priorities

Welcome to Baby Steps Forward, we're so happy to have you here! Well, I'm happy anyway, because otherwise this whole blog thing would be an exercise in futility. I'm not sure who else will be happy, but if they are...then, great!

For those of you who don't know me (yet), I recently switched gears after 12 years on Wall Street, where most recently I was a Supervisory Analyst/Editor, embarking upon what I hope will be a fairly exciting journey...I'm going to be a mom for the first time, at 38 years old. In November. Well, we hope it's November...I mean, if she waits until December, I might just lose my mind! And yes, you read correctly, we're having a girl. (I can say "we" in that case, because my husband was definitely involved in that one!)

This blog came about because when I learned I was pregnant a few months ago, I knew very little about the whole process of pregnancy and childbirth. I'm adopted myself (as are my two older brothers), so it's not like we grew up hearing stories about how tough it was...we just learned from our parents that our biological mothers loved us enough to recognize they wanted us to have a better life than they could provide for us (for which I've always been grateful).

Over the past few months, I've been told there are foods you are (or aren't) supposed to eat when pregnant, some exercise is recommended (or not), there are myriad options available in terms of childbirth/doctors/interventions/ medications...the list goes on. Using a midwife never even occurred to me initially, much less using a birthing center rather than a hospital. Most of what I heard seemed to be contradictory about what was "safe" and what wasn't...and I wasn't sure what or who to believe.

So I did what I always do -- started my own research on the subject -- and once I did, it all began falling into place (that is, after I recovered from being completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information). I'd imagine most people don't have the time to sift through and separate the wheat from the proverbial chaff...so that's where I come in. Since leaving my full-time job, I've been reading everything I can get my hands on. Now, I'm hoping to pass along that knowledge to those who might be on similar journeys, or can relate in some way. I'll be sharing books, products, information...anything I think might be helpful.

Life is about change...and we seem to handle it best when we take baby steps, don't you think?

As for my own background...I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis (Minnesota...oh yah, you betcha), and was involved in every sort of after-school activity under the sun: singing, figure skating, dancing, theatre, swimming, playing piano, gymnastics, track & field...the list is endless. Eventually, I graduated from CCM (University of Cincinnati, College - Conservatory of Music) with a BFA in musical theatre. So of course, after trying to make a living as an actor for a few years, I ultimately ended up working on Wall Street. Don't ask, I have no idea how it happened either.

Hubby and I met while working for the same firm...he's Australian and very laid back (which is a nice contrast to my fairly high-strung, neurotic self). He keeps me grounded. We were married in a small, beautiful ceremony at a friend's house on the shore of Maine in 2008 (and yes, those are flip-flops...I've got on white ones, they're just hidden by my dress).

By the time we got married, it had been nearly 15 years since I'd moved to NYC and it was time for me to get away from the city. So last autumn, hubby and I decided to move to the country, where we now share our home with four furkids...

Zemi is almost 15 years old now. He was discovered as a wee kitten in the middle of winter, with whiskers frozen off, by a little boy in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The boy's parents would let their kids bring home any injured animal they found in the park, as long as they got it adopted after it was rehabilitated (cool parents, eh?). I was lucky enough to find Zemi (then known as "Blackie") at my vet's office, where they'd brought him for adoption...and after he stood on his hind legs to give me Eskimo kisses, there was no doubt he had decided to adopt me. I must admit, his mousing skills have come in very handy since we moved to the country.

Then there's Tasha, our 14-year-old Shepherd/Collie mix who was adopted from the ASPCA in NYC (her original family abandoned her on Thanksgiving when she "got too big" for them...they had named her "Troubles," imagine my surprise). I'm proud to say that she took the Canine Good Citizen course soon after being adopted and even though she fell one credit shy of passing, she made great strides in socialization that first year. As she's gotten older, her hind legs haven't been functioning too well, so she just got some wheels and as you can see, she's very excited about being able to patrol her territory again.

Rocky, a 13-year-old American Eskimo, is our retired stage star...he was in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular when he was just a puppy (but he doesn't like to brag about it, since his siblings come from far more humble backgrounds). He prides himself on being the sheriff of the family...so if any of the other furkids get out of line, he takes care of it. Or bears...he'll handle them, too (and has). Don't let his innocent face fool you...under all that white fluff, he's covered in tattoos.

Then there's our youngest (for now), Taylor, an 8-month-old puppy who we adopted about two months before I learned I was pregnant (timing is everything). She's a mix of -- we think -- Shepherd/Retriever/Bernese Mountain Dog...with a little spaz thrown in for good measure. We found her online at www.petfinder.com and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue was kind enough to let us adopt her. Her favorite game is "Pester the Cat", and Zemi loves to show her who's boss.

Taylor, at 8 weeks

Taylor, at 7 months

Well, that's our little family for now. Once our baby girl gets here, I'm hoping to share stories and photos of her as well. Until then, I hope at least a little of what I've learned can be helpful to someone else. I'm no expert, but I must admit to a certain obsession with knowledge (maybe it's the control freak in me)...so if anything I share helps, that's great! If you're interested in learning more about anything in particular, just let me know and I'll see what I can dig up.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure. I look forward to discovering and sharing new things with you!