I believe everything happens for a reason!  In my case it was the birth of my daughter in 2006 that delivered that “wake up call”.   Before Hannah’s birth, you could have probably described me as a perfectionist, a wee bit inflexible and maybe even a little anal.  I was the type of person where everything had its place, things had to be done just so and if it wasn’t well, let’s just say it wasn’t always a pretty sight.  At home, clothes on the floor, a dirty sink or dishes on the counter, could possibly put me over the edge.  I look around my house now, and can’t help but laugh at the way I used to manage my household.

You see, in 2005 my life took a dramatic turn, I became pregnant….oops, really didn’t see that one coming!   My son at the time was 13 years old and the thought of diapers, bottles and late night feedings for me were long done and over with!  Don’t get me wrong, we were thrilled of the prospect of a baby, but my neat little, “everything had its place” world was starting to crumble a bit. 

When Hannah was born in April 2006, we were all ecstatic!  She was a beautiful little baby…it wasn’t until she was about 7 days old that we noticed something wasn’t entirely right.  Hannah would not stop crying, the only time she would stop crying was when she was asleep, which felt like never.  Of course the doctor’s figured it was colic and we’d have to grin and bear it for 3 months.   When Hannah was 10 days old she stopped eating completely.  We knew this could not be colic and we ended up rushing her to a paediatrician.  Thank the stars my sister is a nurse and managed to get us in sooner than later.  Hannah was admitted to the hospital and was diagnosed with Acid Reflux.   Acid Reflux in a baby is equivalent to an adult having severe heartburn 24 hours a day.   She stopped eating because it hurt too much for her to eat. 

We were sent home with some medication, which did not work and we were back at the hospital a week later because she still was not eating.  A feeding tube was placed and we spent the next 2 weeks with Hannah trying to re-acquaint her with food.  It was a long road, but we ended up finding a medication that worked and by the time Hannah was 6 months old things were much, much better.  Now Hannah is two and although we still have issues with food, she is growing up healthy and happy.

During this time, clothes on the floor, dirty dishes, didn’t seem all that important anymore.  In fact it seemed all a little bit ridiculous in the scheme of things.   I realized how much energy I was spending on these insignificant items.  I wasn’t enjoying myself; my life was filled with tasks, and not much else.

So, with the birth of my daughter, I not only gained a wonderful, beautiful little girl, but I also learned a valuable life lesson —Don’t sweat the small stuff!