2013 has been a year to remember. There have been highs and
lows more intense and tangible than previous years.
This past year began with sadness. On January 27, my
grandmother passed away after her battle with cancer. That same weekend, my
sister’s boyfriend’s brother was discovered deceased. I had flown back to
Vancouver fully expecting to attend one funeral that would be more of a
celebration of life, but not a second one of someone taken far before their
time. Being the oldest sibling, I felt torn between putting on a strong face
for my sisters and my own grief. I also found myself confronting memories from
a time in my past that I thought I had left well behind.
During my time spent in Vancouver, I had a simple playlist
on my phone that I listened to the night my grandmother passed away and kept on
repeat each night in the week afterward. One song that comforted me the most
was Mumford and Sons’ “After the Storm”. The chorus felt like it sang out to
me:
“And there will come a
time, you’ll see, with no more tears / And love will not break your heart, but dismiss
your tears / Get over your hill and see what you find there / With grace in
your heart and flowers in your hair”
Each time I would listen to the song, I would tear up at the
promise that feeling pain from losing a loved one also meant that the very same
love would bring me joy.
Little did I know, I flew back to Calgary from Vancouver carrying a very special someone who would fulfill that promise.
 |
| I couldn't believe the first test and had to do a second one! |
On February 19, DH and I discovered that we were expecting.
We were both nervous and excited at the same time. As the months went on, the
nervousness melted away and the excitement of meeting the little person who
enjoyed kicking around inside my belly took over. During those months, we moved
out of DH’s cousin’s house and into our own rental apartment. Decorating the
nursery and preparing for our baby’s upcoming birth became my #1 priority
between work shifts.
In August, I began maternity leave and we drove the long
drive back to Vancouver for my baby shower. The drive felt especially long
because our car does not have functioning air conditioning and I was 30 weeks
pregnant with what we would later find out to be a huge baby. It was wonderful
to see family again, and the shower was absolutely delightful. I truly enjoyed
sharing our excitement with family and friends.
.JPG)
Upon our return, my main job at that point was to prepare
for the arrival of our baby and rest as much as possible. Things were going great.
Then, at 37 weeks, we had a scare. At my midwife appointment
that week, my blood pressure was quite high. I was sent for bloodwork and we
had to monitor my blood pressure to watch out for pre-eclampsia. We were told
to be prepared for interventions if I began to have more symptoms of
pre-eclampsia. Thankfully, my bloodwork came back normal and we were able to
get my blood pressure back into a normal range without any medical
interventions. After a week or so, the scare became a distant memory.
And we waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, five days overdue, our bundle of joy arrived. Edgar
was born on November 5, 2013, the same day as my MIL’s birthday. And there it
was; that love.
 |
| Edgar Stanley Michael Lee |
“And there will come a
time, you’ll see, with no more tears / And love will not break your heart, but dismiss
your tears / Get over your hill and see what you find there / With grace in
your heart and flowers in your hair”
Now after a busy six weeks, we are looking forward to
celebrating the holidays in Calgary for the first time and a visit back home in
the New Year. I can hardly wait to see what this next year has to offer; this
past one will be a tough act to follow.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone!
No comments