Happy Birthday

So I am a bit behind in this post...a lot behind in posting in general. Going back to work and trying to start up my own company has been keeping me busy on top of all my other family duties.

On November 11th my little miracle baby turned 1! I cannot get over how the time has flown by. For his birthday I compiled all his month pictures and order a poster. Hi birthday party was awesome, who wouldn't have a awesome time with my little man? So I thought let me share his month pictures and lets look back at a year in Knox life!

Knox is born

1 month and growing so big

2 months and starting to show his personality

3 months. SOOOO cute

4 months look at those big eyes

5 months

6 months and still one of my favorite pictures!

7 months and on the move

8 months paying homage to the win a baby contest

9 months such a big boy

10 months pictures are getting harder to get still lol

11 months look at all those teeth

12 months! My littme miracle baby is 1 year old!

I Love that you have been able to come along on this journey with us and hope you will continue too!

Lotsa Love

Natasha

Well deserved getaway!

As new parents it can be easy to get lost in being just that, a parent. We can forget all our other roles, its easy look how cute your baby is...lol. But every once in a while it is ok and highly suggested to take some time for you.

Knox is coming up to 11 months, the time has just zipped by, and this past weekend was my first night away. We took a mini vacation to Kingston with my sister in law Charly and her hubby. We didn't make any grand plans, just knew that it would be nice to putter around on our time and be free to do whatever. So we puttered through stores, drank coffee while it was still hot, ate at a normal pace (not having to feed someone else or chase them), partook in a few adult beverages and simply relaxed. It was a much needed recharge.

Knox and my niece Harper had a fantastic time with there nanny and poppy and the mommies and daddies had a wonderful worry free weekend to be husbands, wives and friends.

Knox having fun at Cannamore Orchard  

If you are a new parent and are feeling a little house bound or a little disconnected from the adult world, maybe this is exactly what you need. It doesn't have to be anything extravagant or over planned. If an overnight is not something your ready for just yet, sometimes even a day or afternoon can do the trick.

Parents gone wild in Kingston lol

With me getting ready to go back to work, Charly and Jake getting ready to welcome another baby into the world, the timing couldn't have been better. And Ryan and I got to walk around holding hands, it was very nice!

So remember in the land of Barney, Dora, bottles and little people, there is a whole other world, don't forget it!

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Magical Mornings

I recently read a post from one of my FAV blogs Mommy Shorts about finding beauty in your mornings as a busy mom. I Love it and personally think that every morning with Knox, even the crazy ones, are beautiful, magical and just awesome!

Who wouldn't love waking up and hearing the sweetest bable coming from just a few doors down or having someone just beyond excited to see you, slobbery baby kisses and cuddles? And yes there is also stinky diapers, early mornings and possible spit up... But its absolutely all worth it!

Family cuddles!

I like the message that if we slow down, take a minute and examine our lives we are sure to find beauty in our day.
What you may see as just your morning coffee, is also you time, time to enjoy your morning, take in the day, prepare yourself to go.
Stuck in traffic can also be a fantastic time to have quiet time alone in the car or to listen to music not sung by a purple dinosaur.

How we do mornings!

So do just that...Take a moment, slow down and examine all the magic that is your day! Even those days we wish we could wish away, may surprise you!

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

4 Trips I need to take!

What destinations do you dream of? If you could go anywhere where would you go?

I have been luck enough to visit some amazing locations like; Costa Rica, Boston MA and Jasper AB, just to name a few. I believe I am definitely a home body but there are a few places that I have placed on my wish list of places i'd love to visit.

Vegas- Poker, Cirque du Soleil, slot machines and all the sparkly lights are something I must explore! This will have to wait till Knox is a bit older and can stay home with the grandparents so he doesn't have to witness mommy and daddy going crazy in vegas...lol

Boston- Yes this is on my list even though I have already been. When I went to Boston, I went with a large group of women for a wedding dress shopping event called running of the brides. It was a blast but we only went for the weekend, spent most of it waiting in line for or participating in the running of the brides (our bride got her dress YAY). We got to explore Harvard and do a bit of shopping and a lot of bar hopping. But there is still a lot on my to do list for Boston. I'd love to go to the aquarium, explore the harbor front and show my hubby Ryan the city I had so much fun in. The people were amazing and I loved my time there. It would be great to go back as a family and explore a totally different side.

Vino- Anyone who knows me knows I love food and wine! lol So one of my dream trips would be a food and wine tour of Italy and France. Exploring the countryside, touring old vineyards, buying local foods...i'm already drooling lol. I would absorb so much from this trip, more then just the wine lol. This is definitely at the top of my list!

Picture from -
 http://globeattractions.com/france-town-homes-buildings-mountains-france-nature/

Canada Eh- As a child my mom took me to New Brunswick to visit family and I'd love to go back now as an adult. I've been lucky to travel to and live in Jasper and experience the Rockies, but that was when I was 19. So now as an adult, mommy and wife i'd love to take a chunk of time and travel from coast to coast. Explore all the beauty Canada has to offer and the yummy seafood at either coast lol (I told you I love food!). I think its important to explore and know the country you live in and that's something I want to pass down to Knox.

There are lost of places I'd gladly go, but the above mentioned trips are ones I've thought about for some time now and always seem to be in the back of my mind. Ryan and I have yet to do any traveling together and I cant wait to have some road trip adventures as a family.

What destinations do you dream of?

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Summer Fun

WOOHOO SUMMER IS HERE!

Always my happiest at the water!

I appreciate all the seasons that we are lucky enough to enjoy as Canadians, but being the water baby I am, summer is my favorite! Even though this summer will be very different for us then all the others we've enjoyed , I am so excited to have fun with our little boy, Knox, and explore all that the summer has to offer with him!

Some of my fondest memories as a child are in the summer time! Camping, playing at the park, swimming at our cottage or having pool parties with friends. My ultimate favorite is my cottage, I can remember spending weeks at a time up there! We would swim, water ski, explore the woods, pick wild raspberries, camp fires, canoeing and oh so much more! I would fill my days so much that by the night I would crash and recharge for the next day. This evolved a little over the years, but I still enjoy all the outdoor fun and even in my last trimester of my pregnancy I was still the last one in the water at the end of the day.

The guys and poochies loving the summer sun!

Even though Knox is still very little ( 7 months ) and wont remember our summer fun probably for the next couple of years, I am so excited to enjoy our first summer with him! We've already been lucky enough to have him in the water at one of our close friends pools and the park is on our agenda whenever the weather permits. He experienced his first bonfire at the cottage in the late spring, he starred at the flames and Glamma ( my mom) danced around with him till finally the warmth of the fire and Glamma's dancing skills lulled him to sleep. 

Our first swim together!

Safety conscious DaDa was feeling a little overwhelmed about summer dangers, so I have purchased Knox's first life jacket, baby bug repellent, sun screen, uv/bug nets, quick drying hats for the water, swim suits and more. I think we are ready...lol

With Knox on the brink of crawling I can only imagine that this will be a busy, but fun summer. I plan on enjoying every minute of it an soaking up my summer off with my boy. I think its so important we pass on what we love to our children and I cannot wait to share all my loves with Knox and get to learn his.

Lotsa Love,

Natasha 

What are some of your summer memories? Any big plans this summer?

Me on Survivor

I am a fan of Survivor, not a crazy fan, I haven't watched all the seasons, not even half, but i do enjoy watching the show and trying to decide how I would handle a situation or if I could complete that task. I get a kick out of running these scenarios through my mind and thought maybe you would too.

I would have to say the closest I've ever been to a survivor type scenario was when I was in the Rain forest for a week in Costa Rica. I, along with my mom, aunt and sister did a week long yoga retreat in the middle of a rain forest, while taking part in daily activities. Doesn't sound hard? 3 hours of yoga a day (1st session starting before the wildlife was even awake), then as if that wasn't enough we hiked a volcano, rappelled down water falls (several hundred feet tall) and when our path was washed out due to rain, off road hiked through the rain forest. All the while I was terrified that one of the many deadly creatures lurking around every corner would get me at any minute, totally not being dramatic!!! lol So maybe I could survive survivor?!?!

One thing I have to laugh at is the girls on survivor, its been 13 years that the show has been on and yet no one learns that a tiny bikini is not practical for Survivor. Maybe you'd win a challenge if you weren't so focused on keeping your boobs in your barbie sized triangle. I went out and bought a $70 high tech sports bra from LuLu Lemon called a TaTa Tamer just to ensure my ladies would stay put for my trip in Costa Rica. No way i'm loosing reward because my girls wanted to pop out! While on the topic of clothes, why wouldn't people think of wearing lightweight, quick drying clothing? I mean you totally look hot in your saggy dirty dress that is oh so practical!

Food would be my weakness, I could very likely get voted off just because I am so NASTY when I don't eat. There are times when Ryan looks at me kinda scared and asks when the last time I ate was. I may have a little monster who takes over when my belly is empty. Living off of beans and rice I could handle and from what I can see is a fantastic diet lol.  The gross eating challenges...hmmm I'm not sure how I'd fair in those, I have texture issues and am really not a fan of anything icky!

Look at those cat like reflexes lol 

I would have so much fun in the challenges! I think I would be pretty decent at them too, especially since my girls would be snug in my super sonic sports bra...lol My upper body strength is lacking and I throw like a girl, but I have great lower body strength, can swim like a fish and I am FEISTY, especially when the food monster comes out!

What I really don't get is when people do nothing around camp, absolutely nothing to make the stay better. I'm sure sleeping in the rain with the crabs is soooo comfy, but why wouldn't you at least try? I know fatigue sets in and you get hungry, but If you made your space a better place to be it would make everything else so much easier.

So to recap If I was ever on survivor Id have the girls strapped in and be in practical clothing, be a beast in food challenges involving water and have the prettiest camp ever! Yep I totally could handle survivor...lol

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

How about you, how would you do?

Whats hiding on top of your fridge?

I've been room by room tackling my house, de-cluttering, cleaning and organizing. When it came to my kitchen the biggest surprise of all was my fridge and not what was inside, but what was on top. I do have a rather large fridge but I never expected to find as much stuff as I did. I guess over time we just kept shoving things up there and they became lost in the land of misplaced items. So I thought I'd share and see if any of my wonderful peeps have stumbled into the same land.



The land of misplaced items-

Vitamins- and I mean a lot of vitamins

Pens- a hoard of pens, highlighters, pencils, sharpies. I must be subconsciously terrified to run out of pens lol

OFF- which was not used last summer, so not sure how long its been up there

Cards- Thank yous, birthdays, anniversary, invitations... you name it and it was probably up there

Bakeware- yes Bake-ware lol and measuring cups

Candles- and not a few that I was burning, some where still in the bag from the store I bought them at

Other then the vegetables and baby monitor
everything you see on my island was on my
fridge. Can we say hoarding? lol

Party Supplies- streamers and bubbles, I was ready for an impromptu event

Old fire alarm- that one I blame on Ryan lol

Receipts- some have started to fade

Pictures- I cycle through what pictures I keep on my fridge and must of started a pile on top and forgot

Flashlight- for safety, that has been kept on top of the fridge

Pee jars- Yep that's what I said. Unused of course. When I was pregnant my dr sent me home with a big bag of them so I could have them at home to speed up the process in her office.

Lip Gloss- in case i'm cooking and am in need of a little shine

Protein powder- Not sure how long that one has been up there

Remote control toy- again that one is Ryan ;)

And last but not least bottle openers


So apparently i'm a bit of a clutter bug! I am working on it lol and the top of my fridge has never looked better. Room by room, bit by bit i'm going through my house and discovering whole worlds of lost objects, things I forgot I had, duplicates of things because I couldn't find the original and so on.

I think what I've learnt from this is that it is absolutely necessary to slow down and go through the things we have. We are always so busy wanting more that we tend to forget what we have or keep pushing things to the side instead of dealing with them right away. So take a moment to appreciate everything you have, deal with whats in front of you instead of putting it off and every once in awhile slow down and take some time to putter.

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

What about you? Are you a clutter bug or do you need constant order? Share with me your fun stories!

My stages of dealing with infertility

Much like dealing with a loss, finding out you have a fertility problem can be emotionality crippling. The slew of emotions we go through can vary and often mimic the stages of grief, at least they did for me. Denial, anger, depression and acceptance have all taken there part in my infertility journey!

I always suspected that there was a fertility issue lurking in the shadows, my husband and I tried off and on for nearly 6 years before our round of IVF that produced my beautiful son. I always knew something was wrong but neither one of us were ready to accept it. We tried everything, I read books, we tried diets, certain foods, yoga, supplements, temperature charting and of course lots of practice. Denial played a big part of our journey until my doctor told me there was nothing else she could do and referred us to the Ottawa Fertility Center. It was there that we were told that, short of a miracle, our shot of having our own child would be through IVF. Ryan and I both knew that wasn't something we could afford and I got hit with anger and depression at varying intervals. I was angry at the situation and depressed that I might not ever be able to have a child with the man I love. Going through this stage was tricky as it seemed almost everyone around me could and was getting pregnant. Baby showers, baby bumps and constant questioning why we didn't have children yet were a constant reminder of our "failure". It took me several months and a lot of love and support to navigate through the dark phase of our journey. When I finally arrived at acceptance, it couldn't have come at a better time as I wouldn't have been so open to airing our "dirty" laundry, we got the greatest gift we won a very unconventional radio contest Win a Baby and our chance at making our family whole. Going through the stages and accepting our situation made it a lot easier to talk publicly about our situation and advocate for Ohip4Ivf and a change in the perception of infertility.

We all deal with difficult situations in our own way, but we don't have to deal with them alone. Once I opened up people started to come out of the woodwork and approach me with there stories, I realized that everything is not as it seems and I was not alone.  1 in 6 couples in Ontario are affected by infertility, we are 1 in 6. It took me a while but I realized that I had not failed, it was not my fault that I had a medical issue, that infertility was not a dirty word that should be kept hidden and that by talking about it we could help make a difference. So that is what I am doing today.

If you are 1 in 6 realize you are not alone and if you haven't yet, reach out and talk to someone.

If you know someone who is 1 in 6 show them support and help raise awareness, don't judge and just be there when they need you.

If you are not aware of anyone in your inner circle that is 1 in 6 chances are they are struggling in silence, help them out by educating yourself and helping with awareness.

We can all make a difference in infertility awareness, help make a change.

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Trying something new

As a new parent I think something we all dread is having to go back to work after being off with our little one. Even though I still have five months left on maternity I feel the clock ticking and dread leaving Knox and venturing off to work. If only I didn't have too.

I had been trying to rack my brain about ways I could earn extra money and only have to work part time or even eventually not at all. I was at a jewelry party the other weekend and had so much fun, loved the jewelry and the great promotions. I had a light bulb moment lol. I know of several people who sell varied products in the similar manner, parties or direct sales and they have had success, so why couldn't I?

I did my research and decided to sign up with Lia Sophia an amazing Family run company out of the states that has been in Canada for four years now. I liked how cheap it was to get started, what they provided in the start up kit and the benefits to selling there jewelry. Plus it doesn't hurt that I love the jewelry lol. Compared to a lot of other companies I looked into, I liked that every month they have a promotion for the customer, host and advisors. Great incentives to buy, host and sell! Ive only been signed up since May 1st and already have received my first incentive gift

delivered to my door today! YAY!

Could my venture flop? ABSOLUTELY! But it is also just as likely to succeed. If I never tried it I would always be thinking what if or imagine what I could be doing now with more time at home. So I invested a little bit of money and received gorgeous jewelry (if it doesn't work out pretty jewelry for me lol) and hopefully I have found my way to have more time with my miracle baby Knox.

I think in life it is so easy to dream, wish or hope and so much harder to actually go out on that limb to reach for what we want. Sometimes taking a small risk for a great reward is just what we need to motivate ourselves. I plan on having fun, earning some extra money and spending more time with my hubby and son. Doesn't that sound great?

What is something you have been putting off or dreaming of? What steps do you need to take to make that happen? What are you waiting for?

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Puddle Jumper Ring

Opaline Earrings

Applique Cuff

These are a few of my favorite things

We are all great at appreciating and celebrating all the things in our lives on special days, like New Years, Birthdays or Christmas. But what about the little things we look forward too or make our hearts warm on a regular basis? Things that you wouldn't normally take time to appreciate.

This morning as I held my son and fed him his bottle he looked up at me ran his fingers through my hair and smiled with his eyes, saying "I love you momma"! My heart melted thinking this was such a special moment and then I realized that yes this was special but happened regularly. Are we too busy every day to realize that we have such sweet moments all the time?

So I took some time and thought about my every day, what do I do, what makes me happy? Here is a few of my favorite daily occurrences.

Checking something off of my list- Seems trivial but the feeling of accomplishment is great and I love when I can finally check something off my list that has been nagging me for some time.

Daddy's home- I say those words and my house explodes with happiness. Bailey starts running around picking up shoes, I bring Knox to the window to see Ryan getting out of the car and he starts bouncing and I love when my honey is finally home for the day!

A sip of happy- That first sip of coffee in the morning, I don't know what it is. Maybe a bit of ritual, something familiar, but I love it!

Me and My love bug 

Say Cheese- We have this daily ritual of sending out a picture of Knox to the grandparents every day. May sound like a lot, but its great! They get to see him every day and I have a picture of him everyday from birth, how awesome is that.

Discovery- Watching Knox discover the world every day is amazing! It may be something little or a huge milestone. But getting to see the world through his eyes is breath taking!

Hi- My daily chats with family and friends. Something as little as a comment on Facebook to a lengthy in person conversation. I love the feeling that we are always connected.

YA YA YA- This one may not happen every day, but I am fortunate enough that it happens regularly. My niece and god baby Harper who is almost One, is this incredible source of light. She always brings a smile to my face. My favorite is when I visit and she sees me, she lets out this squeal of glee, starts chanting "YA YA YA" and (depending on if shes in her high chair or free to run) starts banging her hands and dancing or bolts right for me. This leaves me with an incredible feeling and I know I am loved by her.

This list could go on forever and I'm probably missing a few biggies, but I just wanted to share my list and maybe get you thinking about your own. What is great in your day to day life? I'd love if you'd share!

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

Getting ready to get back on the horse

While being pregnant and breastfeeding my main concern was that I was taking in all the right things, avoiding all the wrong and making sure Knox was getting 100% of what he needed. Well now that I've weaned Knox it is weird not having to worry about caffeine, sugar, calcium etc... Now i'm a free lady lol and am enjoying regular coffee, the occasional alcoholic beverage and not having to worry about when Knox's next feeding will be.

Although I have been thoroughly enjoying having free rang over what i ingest I am very much aware of the warm weather and my "I just had a baby" body. Now i'm not a self conscious person, as a rule, but I would like to look a little less stretched out by the time my bikini comes out of hiding. So what to do?

In the past I have tried many diets and exercise regimes and the one that worked best for me was when i was taking the Body By Vi shakes. I was determined to loose weight before starting my round of IVF and a friend told me about the meal replacement shakes and gave me a sample. I loved it. I had tried other shakes before and always felt hungry or chugged them down because I didn't enjoy the taste. Once I got used to having the shakes for breakfast and lunch (instead of a over sized meal) I liked them and was content. Plus I was dropping the pounds. Running and those shakes seem to be my key to weight loss victory.

The plan? Well I've been putting off replacing the batteries in the scale, but that will be step 1! Step 2 will be getting myself organized and then step 3 to get back on the horse. I'm giving myself this week to enjoy being free to eat what id like and then come Monday YEEHA, back on the horse with me.

Id love to share my experience as I go and hopefully I will have as great of success as I did the first time I tried the Body By Vi shakes.

Gonna get my runners, shaker and can do attitude prepped and ready to go! You with me? Ok lets do this!

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

PS. If you have any questions about the shakes please feel free to let me know and I can answer any questions or put you in contact with who I get mine from.

Parent knows best!

One thing that I noticed as a first time parent is that everyone wants to offer up advice, solicited or otherwise.  I am sure that all this advice is well intended, sometimes it can be overwhelming and contradictory to what your planning for your little one. On top of information given from other parents there is tons of information you can access through books, apps and online articles. So how do you filter through everything and get down to whats right for you and baby?

I love to read, so I have read countless articles etc... on everything labor, parenting and baby related that I can get my hands on. There is a lot of information and a lot of it is contradictory and opinion based. It took me a bit to figure it out but once I did its been way easier. My super secret is... Do whats right for you and baby! It sounds simple, but can get complicated.

Sleeping like a baby

Just like anything else I want to make a decision on I research, ask for opinions and collect as much data as I can. As a first time parent it can be overwhelming, no one wants to make a mistake. Once I realized that its hopeless...lol That everyone makes mistakes then I relaxed a bit and got down to figuring out what works best for us. Just like grownups, babies have there own personalities, likes, dislikes and schedules. I struggled with sleep for months until after lots of reading decided to try Knox on his belly, as he would only sleep an hour or two on his back. Once flipped he slept 3, then 4, then 7 and now 8-10 hours a night. Miracle??? Or just the simple fact that mommy is a belly sleeper and so is baby? Now I know that the current sleeping position for babies is back, but I know that changes regularly and made a choice based on Knox. He could lift his head from birth and by the time I decided to put him on his belly could lift and turn his head, roll over and scoot, this and the fact that I have a angel care baby monitor made me feel safe and secure with my choice to put Knox on his belly. My now functioning brain thanks me lol.

There are tons of decisions to be made and even more opinions ready to be shared. Do you circumcise, make your own food, breast feed, cloth diaper, how often to do tummy time, how much stimulation, when to introduce bed time routines etc etc etc... The list is endless!  Best advice I got was to have a plan and be absolutely prepared to toss it and start fresh. I am glad I got and took this advice as I needed it during labor and with some of my decisions so far as a parent.

My Happy Boy Loving his food

I had every intention to breast feed Knox until at least six months and then introduce foods and wean. However my super baby has a super appetite and I was breast feeding him every 1.5-2 hours and he never really seemed satisfied. This can become exhausting when all you seem to do is breast feed. So at just a week over 4 months we introduced Knox to solids. Again we made this choice after much reading and knowing that Knox was absolutely ready to eat (being able to hold himself up and showing all signs he was ready). Once he was introduced to food the way he breast fed became different, almost aggressive. So after months of non stop feeding and an aggressive eater I decided to start weaning him earlier then intended. At first I felt guilty and selfish that I was weaning him before 6 months, but then I saw how great Knox was doing on the bottle and how much more time Ryan was getting with him. I feel much better about my decision and Knox loves his food and is already trying to hold his own bottle and drinking out of a sippy cup.

As new parents it can be easy to get pressured into doing what your told is best for baby, but shouldn't you be who knows your baby best? If every baby was exactly the same then it would make sense to treat them exactly the same, but they are not so shouldn't we care for them as individuals and make choices as we go? This is how i've approached parenting and I have a happy, healthy baby, so i must be doing something right.


Follow your instincts and do whats right for you and baby, if that choice doesn't seem to work make another. Learn and grow with your baby and you both will be much more relaxed and happy at the end of the day.

Lotsa Love,
Natasha

How do you balance all your roles?

With how busy a world we live in its unrealistic to think that we would only have one role, one purpose in our lives. So as we get older and the roles start adding up, how do you keep balanced?

Recently I have adopted some very important roles aunt, god mother and mommy to my beautiful baby boy. I take these new roles very seriously and love the person they are making me. But what about my old roles, what about who I was before I adopted these new roles? She is still there just hidden under breastfeeding, up all nights, playtime and lots of baby kisses.

At first finding a balance wasn't a big concern of mine, my main concern was figuring out how to be a mom. Knox (my baby boy) is a big eater and not so much a big sleeper, so for the first couple of months it seemed like all I did was nurse, cuddle and try and get a wink of sleep when I could (which is why there was no writing happening lol). Now Knox is four months old and its getting easier to manage and rediscover all my other roles.

My sweet boy Knox

With such an important role as mommy it can be easy to forget that i'm also a daughter, sister, wife, friend, confident, writer, lover, cousin, niece and very important to remember i'm my very own person. So how do I do it, how can I manage? Well thankfully I have an amazing support system and people who love me who have no problem asking for attention or reminding me that I need some me time too. Knox is just so darn cute its hard to step away from the mommy role.

Its important to remember who you are to everyone else in the world, but its also important to remember who you are to yourself. I can see how easy it is to get lost in a new role, how it can completely consume you. So if your in that spot, feeling consumed, step back and analyze the situation. Acknowledge your feelings, its totally normal to feel overwhelmed in a new role. Start small, take little you moments in the day, call your spouse just to say hi or I love you,drop by your friends for a coffee, take up one of those offers for a babysitter, try to get a glimpse of all the things you loved to do before the big change. When we adopt a new role, no matter what it is, we will never be the exactly same person as we were before, we've changed, grown and evolved into anew breed of you. But remember in evolution the thing that evolves doesn't get replaced or changed completely, it slowly adds to itself or removes something to make itself a better being. So add, change or remove but don't forget that you are multi dimensional and more than just one thing.

All your roles make you,  so give and take, ask for help, love all of you and embrace the ever changing creature that is you!

Lotsa Love,
Natasha