It wasn’t the smartest choice but it happened. And we’re smarter for it. But not without a lesson. A few weeks ago after the Olympic gold medal hockey game we ventured into the streets of Vancouver to celebrate with the nation. The vibe was unbelievable. People in red and white swarmed the grounds high on happy (or maybe more, but we’ll go with that).

We had just purchased protective ear muffs for Bean and they worked like magic (see my entry last week titled “Baby Headphones”). While cheers vibrated around us, Bean slept in the carrier peacefully in her own world. We had turned on to Granville—as far as the eye could see were people. And not just on the street. A guy dangled from a light post, others perched themselves on rooftops and some were making their way up to friends’ shoulders, all to get a view of the mob below.

We finally bought a stroller. You’d think bringing a new human life into this world would be the most stressful thing about parenthood. I’d like to challenge that: choosing the right stroller is, in fact, number one.

I put Dale in charge of research. He looked at me with a glaze. “I’ll take the kid biking, skiing, sailing;  I’ll teach her about music and literature...but buying baby stuff is your department.”

However, when I explained that a stroller is Bean’s “car,” his mood changed. This was something he could sink his teeth into. Soon I was getting emails and updates from him on the latest models, brands, prices, and all the attachments that come with.

We found protective ear muffs at Dandelion Kids on Commercial Street. Colours come in black, pink or blue and retail at $39.95. At first my mother thought they were a tad indulgent but she quickly changed her tune. Our crew hit Vancouvers streets after the gold winning hockey game on Sunday afternoon. Amongst a sea of cheering fans, beeping horns, cowbells, chanting on megaphones and impromptu rounds of Oh Canada, miraculously, Bean slept peacefully through it all. Check out www.dandelionkids.ca.

There were things I said I’d never do pre-baby: use a soother, bring Bean into our bed, buy excess baby gear, or let the kid watch TV—just to name a few. So far, 100 plus days into motherhood, and I’m doing it all.

We live on the edge of downtown Vancouver, which has been an amazing location during the 2010 Olympic Games. A 15-minute walk gets us to any one of the many happenings around town. Although we are in the process of stabilizing a pretty great sleeping schedule with Bean (fingers crossed that it sticks), there were a few things we really wanted to experience during this once-in-a-lifetime occasion. So we pushed her schedule a bit, and took Bean out to a few different events.

Hello out there in parent land. My name is Desiree and I’ve been working as a writer for almost a decade. In this time I’ve written on many topics including life, love, work, and play. It’s now a treat to blog about the next phase in my life, and one you can’t write about until you’re actually in it…motherhood.

Yes, I’m a new mom to a 3 1/2 month old baby girl whose nickname is “Bean.” Although her real name is absolutely beautiful, Bean is what my husband, Dale, and I called my tummy before we knew what we were having. After 9 months the nickname just stuck.