The Two AM Club: "Collecting Stories: A Discussioncast on Embracing Diverse Approaches to Raising Children Around the World.
Welcome to The Two A.M. Club, where we have open and diverse conversations about parenting and partnerships across different cultures. Join us on an amazing journey as we explore the joys and challenges of raising children through the stories of parents from around the world.
Our collection of stories represents a tapestry of cultures and personal experiences. We celebrate our differences and the love we share for our children. While everyone's parenting journey is unique, we find common ground in the experiences that connect us.
Whether you're a new parent, experienced, or simply curious about raising children, The Two A.M. Club has something for you. Expect heartwarming stories, practical advice, and thought-provoking discussions. Our goal is to inspire, support, and connect with parents and partners worldwide.
At The Two A.M. Club, we value open-mindedness, diversity, and honesty. We create a community that embraces the universal journey of parenthood, where love knows no limits. Join us today and be part of a welcoming and supportive community of parents and partners.
We believe that parenthood is a journey filled with joy, challenges, and countless stories that deserve to be shared and in doing so we are collecting stories from parents about their experiences in navigating the intricate paths of parenting and partnership. We understand that parenthood isn't solely about raising children; it's also about nurturing and sustaining strong relationships with our partners.
Our aim is to weave a rich tapestry of stories that celebrate the beautiful, messy, and wonderful world of parenting and partnership. Your stories have the power to inspire and guide others on their path to growth and fulfillment. We are eager to share the triumphs, struggles, and lessons learned along the way. Whether you're seasoned parents or just embarking on this remarkable journey, we invite you to listen to the diverse experiences, insights, and advice that these stories hold.
Join us as we embark on this voyage, hand in hand, as parents and partners. Welcome to our discussioncast, where we embark on an honest and unfiltered journey through parenthood and partnership. As everyday individuals, we deeply empathize with the triumphs and challenges that come with these roles, just like many of you. Each episode of our show explores a wide range of topics and features special guests, offering a glimpse into the diverse experiences and perspectives within our global community. Despite our differences, we all share a common objective: navigating these challenges and joys in our own unique way.
The Two AM Club: "Collecting Stories: A Discussioncast on Embracing Diverse Approaches to Raising Children Around the World.
"Expecting the Worst, Hoping for the Best: A Journey of Surprises and Resilience”
"Expecting the Worst, Hoping for the Best“
“A JOURNEY OF SURPRISES AND RESILIENCE”
In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking to friends who embarked on an extraordinary journey, from giving birth in Bahrain to starting a new chapter in Dubai. Their story is filled with unexpected twists and turns, showcasing their resilience and determination as they navigate the challenges of parenting in a foreign land.
Our guests shared the story of giving birth in Bahrain, and their surprise encounter with the "witch of Bahrain" They discussed their initial fears and uncertainties, highlighting their mindset of expecting the worst while hoping for the best. Through their heartfelt narrative, they revealed how their experience in Bahrain shaped their approach to parenting and their outlook on life.
The couple also shed light on the significant impact their parents had on their parenting style. They shared heartfelt stories of how their own upbringing influenced the way they nurture and raise their child. From cultural values to personal experiences, they explored the intergenerational dynamics that have shaped their journey as parents.
As they embarked on a new chapter in Dubai, our guests shared the ups and downs they encountered during their transition. They discussed the cultural adjustments they had to make and how they blended their Polish heritage with the rich tapestry of Dubai's diverse community. Their story serves as an inspiration, showcasing their adaptability and determination to create a nurturing environment for their family.
Throughout the episode, our guests emphasized the importance of embracing uncertainty and staying positive in the face of adversity. They shared valuable lessons learned, reflecting on how their journey has transformed their perspective on parenthood and life itself. Their story resonates with anyone who has experienced the challenges of parenting abroad, offering valuable insights and encouragement.
Join us for this captivating episode as we explore their inspiring journey, from expecting the worst to embracing the best that life has to offer.
Hello and welcome to our podcast. The 2am club the Honey Bunnies. Hey, how are you doing? My love, I'm good. How are you guys doing? Very good. Thank you, our first guest on our first professional microphones. That's true, I'm a little bit nervous actually, so quiet I don't know what to say anymore.
Speaker 2:I'm supposed to say me too, but I'm not. But no, welcome to Marcy and Adam Hello.
Speaker 4:Thank you guys for having us Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3:Hi guys, hello.
Speaker 1:Wanting to join us and talk about the beauty and the beast of parenting.
Speaker 3:We are happy to talk about our little beast, Anna.
Speaker 1:She is quite a beautiful beast.
Speaker 3:We call her Godzilla, really Is that your nickname.
Speaker 4:Especially when she shrieks.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, all right. So do you guys want to tell us a little bit about yourself, where you're from, how long you've been in Dubai, a little bit about your path?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so my name is Marcy Marit to Adam. For how long? Now Five years, but we've been together for 17 years.
Speaker 1:A while a long time.
Speaker 3:Childhood sweetheart, our high school sweetheart.
Speaker 4:Yeah, childhood is going probably.
Speaker 2:A decade too far.
Speaker 1:I think it's like Adam's children made up song.
Speaker 3:We've been living in Dubai. Well, I've been living in Dubai since 2018. But I had a short break from Dubai and I went to Bahrain drink COVID, and that's where Anna was born. And shortly after that, we moved back to Dubai and that's where we live now Me, anna, adam and our little cat, yoko.
Speaker 4:So I'm Adam. I think Marcy has given a good history of our whereabouts and stuff. I've only been living in Dubai since November. A lovely place to live, and I think it's nice to consolidate our family in one place. Finally and I think Anna was a considerable driver behind it- yeah, how was life in Bahrain?
Speaker 4:Fantastic. I love Bahrain. I love Dubai for different reasons, I would probably rate them. You know, they're both great places to live and I think if you look for negatives you really need picking and I think I would rate them very, very highly and very similarly. So it's just nice to have a chance to live in another country and move to Dubai and spend a bit of time here. Great for the kids as well.
Speaker 2:Where are?
Speaker 4:you from? Actually, I think we're both from Poland.
Speaker 3:Yes, we are, you think.
Speaker 4:If they're childhood sweethearts. But yeah, we spent a bit of time living in the UK. We studied there, did our university, started our careers and then, 2018, moved to Middle East, initially living in two different places, commuting to see each other over the weekend, and then, obviously, covid came, which I think helped us to kind of relocate to one place and it was difficult and obviously it was tragedy and tough for a lot of people, but for us it allowed us to stay in one place for longer.
Speaker 3:And we have a soft spot for Bahrain because that's where I spent most of my pregnancy and Anna was born there and it was just the best time ever the pregnancy and first moms with Anna. So that experience in Bahrain and all the support that we got from our friends in Bahrain was just awesome. It was the best time.
Speaker 1:How was the birth? How was the birth in Bahrain? The hospitals, the care pre and post.
Speaker 3:Birth was great. I mean I had a C-section and it was kind of planned but kind of emergency C-section, because I've read a lot about childbirth and I have an older sister and she has two kids, so I was always looking up to her and kind of interpreting her experience into mine and her first childbirth was traumatic so it lasted 32 hours.
Speaker 3:In the end they had to suck my nephew out with this sucking machine and then it was really bad and I decided that I do not want to experience that, and me and my sister are the same built. So I thought, okay, this is going to happen to me if they're going to induce me, and that's what they wanted to do. And I said no induction, no, no, no, either it's going to happen naturally or C-section. And it never happened naturally. I had to have emergency C-section, which I kind of prepared myself for, and then the childbirth was pretty easy it was half an hour.
Speaker 4:It was really quick. I didn't I mean thank God it was quick, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly and I was there behind the curtain and it just sort of happened.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and Anna came out and I remember Adam was like is she out, is she there?
Speaker 4:And we could hear this she was very quiet, wasn't she? It was a very elegant cry.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and then she was 10 out of 10 on up girl scale. It was all great. I felt really good afterwards. I had very fast recovery. Yeah, it was just super easy.
Speaker 4:But the care in the hospital was very good as well. Yeah, you had your own room. I mean the food was the portions you were given, I mean it was enough for the two of us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was sleeping on the sofa.
Speaker 4:Was it a sofa or was?
Speaker 1:it like a couch that turned into a sofa.
Speaker 4:It was a couch that turned into a sofa. Super uncomfortable, right. Yeah, one of these.
Speaker 1:What we have to go through just incredible.
Speaker 2:Poor man.
Speaker 1:It's very uncomfortable.
Speaker 3:But I mean I don't want to complain because, comparing to my friends in Poland that had to give birth during COVID or post-COVID, their partners were not allowed to be with them. So I think we are very blessed to have this, our own room, where we can have some our family time and Adam can be there. And also you have the typical Middle Eastern experience when they say you're not allowed to have orange juice because it's not good for the breast milk, and then what do they serve you the next day?
Speaker 1:Orange juice. It's kind of funny that every culture has these things where you know like that one culture will be like, oh, you can't have it, orange juice. And then the other one is you can't have the windows open, like in China. It's like the fun, the air. But every other country they don't care.
Speaker 4:Like with washing the newborn as well. I think there's different like schools of thought and stuff.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're not allowed to put them in the washing machine, and what?
Speaker 2:Why not?
Speaker 4:Speaking of Middle East culture as well, remember that old lady that went into our, I guess, room at the hospital when Anna was crying. Yeah, that was very scary.
Speaker 3:So I was struggling with breastfeeding and that was my biggest nightmare during pregnancy and then postpartum. I could not and Anna could not latch and I was struggling with her and then she was crying. We were in the hospital Adam was in the bathroom at the time and this lady came wearing a baia, wearing a headscarf, and I was holding Anna. She was crying and this lady came to me and she said oh baby, can I take her, can I take her? And my motherly instinct was like no no, get away from my baby.
Speaker 3:I got so scared I don't know why, but I thought that she will grab my baby and just run away. And then she left. And then Adam came out after a few minutes and he was like what's happening? And I was just so scared. But I never saw this lady again.
Speaker 1:Sounds like the witch of Bahrain. Sounds very strange.
Speaker 4:I didn't even hear anything.
Speaker 1:I think that was a witch of Bahrain. Could be like a next horror movie Possibly.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but then after coming back home I remember this funny story Adam was in such a shock that we just have this little baby. We went to Starbucks drive through and Adam ordered two Nespresso Frappuccinos because it was really hot and he paid for them.
Speaker 1:Two for him, no one for me, one for you, okay.
Speaker 3:And then he paid for them and left and drove off. What?
Speaker 4:I also left a tip.
Speaker 3:And after like a few seconds I'm like where are you going? Where are the coffees? And then he had to reverse back the drive through and the guy was just laughing. So that I think shows how Adam stayed of mine during.
Speaker 4:Yeah, your brain gets rewired.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so were you ready to pay me? Were you guys like prepared before, mentally, physically, everything ready, or did you guys just say, right? I mean, it seems like Adam didn't even know they were having a baby.
Speaker 4:So like after we're at the Starbucks oh shit, I have a child.
Speaker 1:I need to go now.
Speaker 4:Yeah, no, I think it's. You know, in terms of being ready, I mean, thank God pregnancy is like nine months, because I think if it was like two days then obviously, you know, it can get a bit all over the place. I think you never 100% ready. You've got a lot of time to prepare for it and you know, we, marcy and I, I think we're compulsive planners in terms of, like, getting the house organized and, you know, buying all of the necessities. I think that we were on point, like we had all of the stuff packed for, you know, emergency drive to the hospital.
Speaker 4:I think mentally it was something that we were getting ready for and you know we made that conscious decision. But you know it was a journey and I think when it happens, you've got all sorts of thoughts in your head. You know you've got the good, the hopeful thoughts, you've got a little bit of anxiety, but you know, I think it's all very natural, isn't it? Like you know, yesterday we went out for lunch and Anna wasn't there, and I think it was the first time we went out for a date lunch in a long time and it was nice, but I kind of miss her, you know.
Speaker 3:I mean you can eat your lunch without having to run around the restaurant after your toddler.
Speaker 4:From that perspective perfect.
Speaker 3:And you don't have your child smashing plates and climbing stuff. So yeah, it was kind of boring. It was kind of boring.
Speaker 4:We spend a little time trying not to talk about Anna, but we always went back to talking about Anna, yeah.
Speaker 1:It is crazy actually. We were friends the other night and then we were just talking about kids the whole time and then someone was like, okay, can we change subject?
Speaker 2:And then eventually we just came back to the same subject again, right, yeah, we're trying consciously not to talk about them, but somehow you always do. And the kids weren't even there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, they were not even there, so we were enjoying alcohol, sitting and eating, and we're just talking about the kids. The whole time Blah, blah, blah, blah, and then I think it was at the hot pot.
Speaker 2:Ah, right, right right.
Speaker 1:And then he was like okay, can we really change subjects, right?
Speaker 3:now.
Speaker 1:His wife is in France right now with the kid, so he's like sleeping in lay. He's watching movie. He went to the movie.
Speaker 4:You know, you kind of hate him. Like fuck you.
Speaker 1:And he's sleeping in lay. He's doing work around the house.
Speaker 3:Please stop. Please stop, because it's making me angry.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it is crazy that somehow afterwards you just kind of the subject goes back into the kid.
Speaker 4:It definitely does. So what do you Sorry?
Speaker 2:What do you think was the most surprising for you being a parent Like, what was there like after birth? Okay, you mentioned breastfeeding was difficult. Did you expect it or was it a surprise?
Speaker 3:Now I plan to be breastfeeding mom casino Breast is best.
Speaker 1:Breast is best. Oh, that's a t-shirt, sorry. Breast is best.
Speaker 3:And I really prepared myself for having this breastfeeding journey and I've read all about it and we hired a doula. She was helping us with breastfeeding. It just didn't work. It didn't work for me, it didn't work for Anna and I just couldn't. I think it was very tough on me. I was borderline depressed about not being able to breastfeed, but Adam was really supportive. Adam was like I just give her a bottle, it's fine.
Speaker 4:Simple, right. Plus, I can feed her as well, and I couldn't do that with my breast.
Speaker 3:Although she was very interested in Adam's nipples, but she was not interested in my nipples at all. Adam was, though.
Speaker 4:She's very intrigued by my nipples, strangely.
Speaker 3:But I was pumping for a while and then giving her both formula and my pumped breast milk. But then after I went back to work after three months, I was like it's not going to work. I mean, I'm in conference calls, breast pump is making noise. I don't want to explain to people what is this noise. I decided to stop and then Anna got COVID. She was three months old and I got COVID and then I gave COVID to Anna and then at that point I was considering going back to pumping again because breast milk will provide the baby with all the antibodies. But Anna recovered within one day. But I think it's because I was also sick. I had COVID when I was pregnant.
Speaker 1:So you got the vaccine while you were pregnant.
Speaker 2:The third one, the booster, and I got sick, so Moudano was pretty protected. Same with me.
Speaker 3:I had three times. I was vaccinated. I had my third dose when I was pregnant they just asked me to wait until the second trimester and then I got COVID. When we were in Iceland, I was five months pregnant. We were climbing volcanoes and ice skates.
Speaker 1:As a pregnant woman does.
Speaker 3:And then I got COVID in Iceland and then I got COVID again. But I think that's why Anna was so good when she got COVID, because I had it before and she had all the antibodies from before. But that was very scary because you get the small brand new baby and only at three months she's getting six.
Speaker 4:I had to take her to an ICU, right, and she got swabbed and all that kind of stuff. It was very strange because now obviously she's got runny nose and you're kind of used to that, but first time she's poorly, it really hits you how vulnerable she is. And you just want to do something. You kind of feel a bit powerless. But, thank God it doesn't affect children as bad as it affects grown-ups.
Speaker 2:There's a reason.
Speaker 1:It is crazy how resilient kids are. I mean, we feel powerless. But then you look at them and you're like, okay, you guys are actually really, really strong compared to what. Mentally, you have this image of a baby. And then you're like, oh shit, like when they're climbing and they fall and they give you that look and you're like, okay, it's not that bad.
Speaker 2:But that's what, my friend, she's a pediatrician and I was like, wow, really like pediatrician, that's tough. No one kids when they're 60 is like yeah, but you know what? They're the much better patients because they're not as whiny. As I said, also, she actually chose to be a pediatrician. Yeah, I think. Yeah, my breastfeeding is interesting. I mean, for me it was. I would say yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:I never let go. That was a problem.
Speaker 2:No, I mean I also had. Yeah, we also had our trouble because Muna Nu was in an ICU, so but that was also the lucky part, because he immediately got the bottle within the first week because they asked me. Yeah, because he was in this thingy and yeah, and like you say, actually it was nice for you as well, right For the give the bottle and I was pumping and I had so much milk. My problem was I had too much milk, the boobs were constantly infected and you know this mis-titus and so on, and I was, you know, going outside and just within an hour I would be touching and it would be, you know, hard and I would be like so stressed and, like you said, when I went back to work, I was at home for a month and then I went back I was like it's impossible, honestly, I have no idea how you breastfeed and work.
Speaker 2:I mean for me, like I mean I'm in a meeting and I'm like, excuse me, son is hungry, can we have a break please? I mean you can't time that? I think I mean I was still fortunate because I was mostly in home office, but even then it didn't work, because you have your meetings, you have your stuff to do and you cannot really accommodate a baby, baby schedule. So, yeah, and it's crazy how it impacts our mental because for me, I was not in my mind this super breastfeeding mom for two years. I was like okay, let's see what happens, but I did not imagine it being that complicated. I'm like wow, because, as you say, right, well, it's natural. So I think you think, yeah, it's natural, but well, not that natural. I mean, this is actually really hard.
Speaker 3:I think it's natural for some women and I have friends who had no problem with breastfeeding straight away after babies born. They latch on, they breastfeed and everything is nice and amazing. And I'm this mother who struggles and I have those nipples that don't work as a baby who would not latch on, and but also I had really, really great support from my mom and from my sister and they said that it's fine if you bottle feed, it's not the end of the world and that really, really helped me. And then I remember when my breastfeeding friends were always complaining because they had to be the one who wakes up. They had to be the one who breastfeeds the child. And for me and Adam it was perfect because we would rotate. So I would do one night and then Adam would do another night and then, and our baby, she was waking up maybe once or twice at night. Now she sleeps through the night. I want to brag a little about it.
Speaker 2:Go ahead? Yes, you can be, if that's the case.
Speaker 1:You can be proud of this. Some parents out there listening and they're like mother fucker.
Speaker 2:Ours is not, by the way. He's waking up once it's fine. Don't oversell. He still wakes up. It's okay, he's almost perfect. It's not twice, or three times.
Speaker 1:It's just once. It could be worse. So go ahead, brag about your child.
Speaker 3:So, but I also I don't want to. I don't want to say that breastfeeding is bad. I can see that all of my friends who were breastfeeding, especially for a long time, their children are a bit more needy and they don't sleep as well as children who are not breastfed. I mean like, waking up once at night or twice is fine, but I had some friends who had to wake up every 45 minutes to be a human pacifier to a child, Because it's not breastfeeding, it's just babies sucking on your nipple and falling asleep. So I'm happy that it didn't work out because it benefited us in other ways.
Speaker 2:I 100% agree, and I think now, retrospectively, I mean after a year, you look back and you're like my God, why were you so stressed about this? You're like my God, it's so not. You know. I mean, they got their couple of month breast milk. It's totally fine. But yeah, I agree, there's so much stigma around it and, like you say, this being attached only to you, I think it was so not, and honestly, I was also mentally not able to do this all by myself. I think I didn't even change a diaper until week three or something like this.
Speaker 1:I think you still don't change it.
Speaker 2:I'm still not the biggest diaper changer. Yes, that's correct and that's fine. You know I'm not missing anything, so yeah, so I think this was really really.
Speaker 3:But yeah, you have to do one eventually.
Speaker 2:I did, I did the couple, she'll do mine.
Speaker 1:But I think the important for a lot of dads I also say, like what Adam was saying was the crazy part is you actually can share in the experience, because a lot of moms you know they have this. They're the only ones that have that experience of. I mean, of course, once in a while, your kid your shirtless, and then he'll grab onto your nipple and you're like all right, whatever, also whatever. But you know, this is the one time where you're in the middle of the night you're just alone with the kid, right, you hear your wife and the other the corner With that stupid machine. That's just like but you have this, you build the bond right. It is crazy that it's something special also for the husband to be able to do that.
Speaker 4:Definitely no. I think it was really really nice to share that experience. I think it allows you to bond better with the baby. You know I think I was always a bit more on the pragmatic side. So you know, milk food, nutrition, babies fed. I'm happy, whereas Marcy was, and I think it's. You know, obviously you do a lot of reading and there is this like weight of expectations on your shoulders and you know if you don't breastfeed, you think that you know you failed as a parent. But I think it's. You know it's definitely not true. I think there's many different layers of parenting and I'm actually very happy that you know we went with the bottle and I think it's. I haven't noticed any negative impact on Anna.
Speaker 4:Quite the opposite, I think she's. She's a happy child. She sleeps through the night and you know she still, like freaking loves that bottled milk. Yeah.
Speaker 1:On the way to drop off Muna Nui for the play date. He was sitting in the car, also with the bottle, and he was just looking at me like some heroin addict on the corner of a Frankfurt train station. You know that those druggy eyes are.
Speaker 2:These two cuties are playing right now.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So but, Adam, what was for you the most surprising part? Do you have anything?
Speaker 4:So for me actually, it's an interesting question. So I I always hope for the best but plan for the worst.
Speaker 4:So I was you sound German, I was ready for giving up gym, having zero free time. You know, having an ultra hardcore baby when it comes to waking up in the middle of the night, being cranky, etc. Etc. But I think what surprised me the most and obviously you know we're very grateful for that that Anna was a relatively, I think, laid back child. She hasn't had any colleagues, she would sleep faring, she yeah, she was generally like very kind of happy and cheerful.
Speaker 4:And then you know, I also thought that in terms of our personal lives, we will have to give up on a lot of things. So I thought I'll have to give up on the gym, I'll have to give up on the things I like. And obviously you do you kind of restructure day to allow you to do the things that are important. And for the things that are important you still find the time, obviously, some of the things you do less, some of the things you do more. So I think it really it's not taking things away from you, it's adding another dimension to life. I think it allows you to continue being fulfilled on many different levels and I think if you are fulfilled parent, you know you can pass on some of that positive feelings on your baby, because I think there's a you know it's.
Speaker 4:I don't think it's good to be, you know, a frustrated parent because obviously that can have, you know, negative consequences on the child's upbringing and stuff. So, yeah, I think positive, surprise Okay.
Speaker 1:That's actually very interesting. Happy parent, happy baby.
Speaker 2:And yeah, because I think the funny thing, but with more at the beginning, was he was because obviously when you're pregnant, I was not pregnant. When you're pregnant, everyone is telling you, your life is going to go away. You're not going to like what you're what you're right.
Speaker 4:Everyone hated these comments and more as well.
Speaker 2:But you know what happened to him. He wanted to prove so much that life is like it was before. Yeah, but it simply wasn't, because birth was shit. We were both in trauma. I mean, we were both in trauma for a couple weeks or even months, so yeah, and, but he, like, I remember the first week we were home. Every Thursday he has his geeky evenings playing D&D.
Speaker 1:Shout out to my D&D group oh my, God, what's up ladies?
Speaker 4:I haven't played D&D in like 20 years I would love to join Play here 100%. Are you a dungeon master?
Speaker 1:No, I'm not the DM. Well, we have a great DM. His name is Bart. This is a whole other podcast on the spot.
Speaker 3:Okay, okay, okay, losers, let's talk about baby.
Speaker 1:Excuse me, ladies you married us.
Speaker 3:Like I just want to say, you guys married us.
Speaker 1:But yeah, we play D&D every Thursday. It's also everyone is almost that in the group Every Thursday 7, 7.30 at the, I'm inviting myself in. Yeah, you're invited for the next one. We'll make a new character for you.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God, okay. So coming back to the topic, actually D&D was also the cause of the first big fight.
Speaker 1:No, no, no. First big fight was Colostrum.
Speaker 2:For me that wasn't a fight.
Speaker 1:I was still in it For you, but for me it was.
Speaker 3:Okay, so can you elaborate?
Speaker 1:You remember the Colostrum, the gold liquid, yeah, yeah. So because there's so few right and then you have to collect it, do you guys also have to collect it?
Speaker 3:No, because I wasn't producing any until the day Anna was born.
Speaker 1:Okay, so the thing was Muna Nui was in the NICU for us, so we had to collect the Colostrum and then bring it to him in the NICU and of course, leah, you're like, it's so precious, like you know, and every single drop you have to collect, and once in a while, of course, there's drops that are going to be dry up and you're not going to catch them. And we had such a big fight Because Fenya was like no, this is how you do it.
Speaker 3:You can't do it like this, you're doing it wrong.
Speaker 1:And I was like no. The nurse told me like no, you don't fucking listen to me. And the nurse comes in and I was like excuse me, do I do it this way? And she's like yes, that's the correct way. And I just look at Fenya. She didn't say sorry, by the way. She doesn't accept the fact that was the first fight.
Speaker 2:I really don't think it was a fight for you, but Thursday D&D night was a fight, so he was so adamant on I want my life to be the way it was before. So he's like, yeah, Thursday D&D night, and honestly, I wasn't ready to be alone with Munanui. I couldn't be alone. Yeah, I was suffering from the C-section surgery, pain, depression, everything. I was so terrified to be alone with Munanui, Even D&D. I mean it's in the building, by the way, that he just went down to the. I mean, you know, it was just here and so I actually agreed. I think I don't know.
Speaker 1:You did agree.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I probably. I mean I wasn't sane.
Speaker 1:So it's a hormones again.
Speaker 2:Yes, and yeah and so, and then when he wanted to go, munanui was actually crying and oh my God. And then I like I just lost him. I was like why do you need to go to D&D, why do you need to pretend things are the same? They are not the same. So, oh my God, that was really so. That was a bit and I think I mean you understood later. Okay, things are not the same, but it's okay that they are not the same, because you can still do the things you know. I mean, you can go for lunch, you just bring your child and, yeah, you will run around a bit behind plates, but just to close that whole D&D thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So the my friends, right, everybody was there waiting for me, right, and then I came in later, late, but that was the first and only D&D that I have missed because of Munanui. So technically I'm right it hasn't changed. But Spania.
Speaker 3:I totally get you, because I remember the situation when Anna was I think she was six weeks old, and Adam went to Spain for two weeks, wow, yeah. And so we decided that, okay, for one week, it wasn't holiday by the way.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was. It was for work, it was work.
Speaker 1:We had a lot. I was just going to say the balls. Thanks for clarifying.
Speaker 3:Adam had to travel a lot with his previous company. So thank God he's not there anymore. He's with us. He doesn't have to travel as much. But back to the days when he had to travel. He went for two weeks when Anna was only six weeks old and she had those witching hours.
Speaker 2:Witch hours Six PM, five PM.
Speaker 4:I forgot about those.
Speaker 1:I totally, I totally. Thank you so much for reminding me the witch hours.
Speaker 3:We used to call them the bitching hours High five.
Speaker 1:This is totally how I called Whoever said the name, the witch hour. Fuck you All. Right, that's all I'm going to say. It's the bitch hours.
Speaker 3:So seven PM on the dot, she would start crying for one hour straight, oh man. And I would swaddle her, take her into my arms and bounce on this big yoga ball for one hour. So I would get a backache. And then I discovered that it doesn't matter what I do, she just needs to cry it out for one hour. And I was alone for a week and after that my parents came and they were helping me out.
Speaker 3:But I remember that one day, because my parents they live in Poland and we don't have access to pools. I mean, we do have pools in Poland, but it's not like like in the Middle East that you live in a tower and there's like three pools and you can use them in a jacuzzi. So obviously, when my parents came to visit me, they wanted to To have some time at the pool. So they went to the pool and I was alone with Anna and I could see them from my Window chilling on the pool. And then Anna had this witching hour and I just started crying with her because I was like this is so unfair. They're at the pool and I'm here with this crying baby and it was just. I had a crisis and I thought that my life will never be the same again, and I'm just missing out, and it's not fair. Adams in Spain, he can sleep, I cannot sleep. And it was just. I think it was just the accumulation of everything.
Speaker 3:So, I totally get you like. Sometimes you just Just have one of those days and that's when everybody leaves and you have to deal with this crying baby and that's when Shit hits the fan.
Speaker 2:I mean, you cannot imagine how Exhausting a crying baby is so I own. I'm only feeling for because honestly we were, and that's always what I say I mean I felt so exhausted. But when I knew it was an angel child, I mean he was really a good baby.
Speaker 1:Okay, he was eating his halo was held up by.
Speaker 2:No, he was. I mean, come on yet no, colleagues, he was sleeping. Well, okay, he drank like super slow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was annoying but that's why I also didn't have a comparing him to other babies.
Speaker 2:No, they're not my babies, I know, but I'm just saying, like just having you know, an hour, half an hour, five minutes Actually it doesn't matter, just in general, a crying baby is so exhausting and can drive you crazy talking about crying babies.
Speaker 1:This is new on our program. Now we will be now. If you have to take a little bit of a break right now While you're listening to us, because you have a crying baby or you have a crying husband or a crying wife, now would be the good time to press pause and then come back to us later on, whenever you're ready. But anyways, yeah, crying babies, it's really a pain in the ass.
Speaker 2:But I think Marcy just gave me a good hint. On the next question I wanted to ask your support network. Obviously, you being expats, being in a country that you maybe call home, but we're probably your family is not located. So how did you feel in terms of friends, family or did well being alone? How did that all go in the first weeks and month?
Speaker 3:Well, we were very fortunate to have Two couples that were pregnant at the same time. So shout out to our friends Robin, jen and Bahrain, and Magda and Pavel here in Abu Dhabi, and we were sharing our experiences and we were giving each other tips, which was really really good. As I mentioned before, my sister was I have an eight year older sister who had two pregnancies and she was also giving me advice which sometimes was not very accurate. I mean, as Adam said, we were getting a lot of advice like Don't drink oranges.
Speaker 3:No, forget that. You're gonna sleep through the night. Baby's gonna wake up. You're never gonna do this or that again it was all very demonizing.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:And. But some advice was really, really great. So I remember when Adam's mom, who's a Teacher and she runs her own nursery she, yeah, and she also Studied speech development for a long, long time. So she gave me very, very good tips, like when you, when you deliver a baby, they usually have very long nails, and what people do? They put mittens on their hands. Apparently, that's a no-no.
Speaker 3:You shouldn't do that, because that's how babies develop their speech with their little fingers, so they stimulate their mouth by, obviously, by touching their mouth with their little may scratching their mouth, yeah but it's just easier to just I know it's scary that you have to cut their little nails, but it's really really better for them to Do that because in the end it will benefit them with their speech development. So stuff like that, or my mom would also give me really really good advice and a lot of support, especially on that breastfeeding thing. That was very much needed because I felt like shit that I'm not able to breastfeed and All the all the women around my network were like don't worry, it's fine. Men had always the same answer just give her the bottle.
Speaker 1:We're so pragmatic. It's crazy to say that right, no right, it's a no-brainer. It's not all men. We're not all men, but a majority of them a majority of men do say like alright, fuck it, just give him the bottle. Like you know, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Yeah, and then I mean there's a lot of kids around the world that don't Press feed and that the barfing, I mean my mom, could you maybe just coming back?
Speaker 2:Sorry, honey. So I had just going back to the network then Did you have like friends coming over and helping you with Anna or what's what really just most important, to have someone to exchange your experiences.
Speaker 3:We had our close friends Robin Jen, coming over. I had some other friends coming over, but it wasn't like they were helping with the baby. No, I think we did everything pretty much ourselves. And my parents came for two weeks no, sorry, for one week and during that week they were helping a lot. And then Adam's mom came shortly after that for I think, three weeks.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I think it was good Because obviously I think you know, living in Bahrain, you need to connect. Getting there is not easiest, so I'm grateful that because we had Anna, it's given a relatives a chance to visit, I think For me, obviously I wasn't paternity for two weeks and then I took one week off. So being off work for three weeks, which you know has not happened During my ten years with with my previous employer, was fantastic.
Speaker 1:And then two weeks you went to Spain right. Then two weeks I went to Spain, yes.
Speaker 4:So I think that was that was good. We had a little bit of emotional support from our relatives, our friends, but we also had a lot of, I think, pragmatic, practical support because of being based in Middle East. You know it's pretty convenient here. You can get an Annie.
Speaker 3:We had a cleaner coming twice a week.
Speaker 3:So from yeah, from that standpoint I think it was really yeah, it was a real privilege, I guess after having a C-section you can't really move, you can't really do much and you need to focus on recovering so you can't really lift anything Apart from the baby. So having that lady coming in twice a week changing bed sheets, changing towels because she did all that for us it was just really, really good. And also facilities in our, in our Tower at the time were great. So we could enjoy going to the pool, going to the gym, just Chilling in the in the jacuzzi. So it was it's.
Speaker 3:I can't imagine doing that somewhere else, like in England or in Poland, where, especially in winter, you have to put layers on that baby and then you have to dress yourself. Being in the Middle East in April because Anna was born in April, the weather was still good you could go out for a walk. You didn't have to put a lot of layers, you just put on your slippers and the sundress and that's it and you go for a nice walk. So I think that the circumstances were were really good and yeah, it was kind of I don't want to say easy, but it was. I Think it was easier than what we've imagined. Yeah.
Speaker 4:I think it was quite idyllic. Yeah, you know that. The way I recall these first two, three months it was yeah, it was really nice.
Speaker 3:Adam was playing Elden Ring for Every, every day, when Anna was born during his paternity.
Speaker 4:When she was sleeping.
Speaker 2:What is that?
Speaker 3:Computer game yeah, okay, and she would always.
Speaker 4:I mean Moe, you will know it's an notoriously difficult game and she would always wake up when I was, you know, nearly on the verge of defeating the next boss. I would die.
Speaker 2:So Little Elden Ring story Beat in the game but you know, it's very interesting because I think you guys hang out around a lot of people that had kids. So in your mind, like you said, somehow the, you expected the worst scenario and actually had an you know, and then it got better, as you thought, for us. We didn't have people with kids around us and I think I mean we didn't think about it being idyllic, but I mean it was a lot worse than we thought. So yes.
Speaker 2:I mean I and I think I mean I really believe that the key part was indeed the birth. And when I know I being in NICU and the whole like Near-to-death experience Was horrible, so I think I mean just the start was was really bad, and then, and then I mean it just took, took us a long time to recover I'm still not sure we recovered. I remember when we went to the baby massage group and the lady actually telling us because then people shared their birth stories and yeah, we were the only one actually crying and then she's like, oh, yeah, maybe you have PTSD and you know. So I was like, oh, wow, you can have that. So, yeah, it's, it's so, I think, this. So for us it was so much worse, but it's really nice to hear that it actually can be different. And I think because we always say, oh, we want to share the truth because it's so hard, but then maybe we just didn't know because we didn't have people around us.
Speaker 1:Exactly that's our truth, and that's also what this is about that there is different truth. Yeah, exactly like parenting like a child. Every child is different. Every parenting style is different. Yeah, that's the truth, Exactly the truth every child birth is different. Even they're all vaginal or their c-section. They're all different stories. Yeah, that's the whole thing.
Speaker 4:but so your mom is a teacher for my mom was a teacher, I think, for over primary school teacher for well over 20 years and she's now Started her own business which is a nursery. But it is a really I mean she's very passionate about it and the nursery is Amazing, I mean, even by, I think, dubai, middle East standards. She's got she's got a lot of theoretical knowledge, she's got amazing equipment, she's got great, you know, motivated staff. It's very small kind of groups of children. So it's a really, I Think, kind of conscious. I don't want to use the word like app market, but it is a, yeah, it is a very professional.
Speaker 1:But the organization. So it goes to the question I'm gonna ask now is Do you see your parenting style now? Is there a lot of it? And then I'll ask for you after is it a lot of it? That comes from how you were raised as a child. Do you look now at Anna and you look at your mom and you're like, oh well, actually like, you know, that's a really good question.
Speaker 4:I there is a lot of things. Obviously, when you have a baby it allows you to relive your youth a little bit and, you know, there is kind of like glimmers and and and flashbacks of when I was a baby. But I don't really. I think I recall my parents parenting style a lot more when I was, you know, early teenager, in these kind of formative years. I don't really recall it much when I was, you know, a very young child. So I think it's difficult to find differences or similarities. I would like to think that I've kind of developed my own style and that's a mixture of reading, a mixture of practical things what works, what doesn't. And obviously we're only starting our journey, so I'm sure it will change, it will evolve and develop as we go along.
Speaker 1:But have you talked to your mom about it? Like, has there been instances where you're like hey mom, actually how was it when I was a kid? Or does she tell you, oh, maybe.
Speaker 3:I would say it was difficult.
Speaker 1:I'm talking about him as a kid, not as a marriage.
Speaker 3:So I was supposedly a textbook child, Like I was easygoing, like I didn't cause too many headaches by the way Anna looks like Adam and she, I think, from what his mom says about him, she's also behaving like Adam when he was a child. So I remember when she said that she brought him back from the hospital and put him down and he slept for six hours straight so he had to wake up and check if he's still breathing, because she thought this baby is dead And-.
Speaker 3:I like to sleep and we did the same thing happen with Anna. We brought her back from the hospital, we put her down in her crib. After a few hours I'm like, why is she not crying? She's still asleep, and she was sleeping for a long, long time. And I think him and her, they're just the same In that way. They just like to sleep.
Speaker 1:Would you raise Anna the same way, like when you think about how you're, when you remember the parenting you got from your parents, would you do it the same or would you do it different, would you? I mean, of course this is in the future, but I mean now that you look at it and you're like, okay, I'm gonna, this is kind of how I'm gonna parent my child, this is you know because we're all in that journey right now, where-.
Speaker 4:So I think there is, you know there is. I think as a father you have two main, I think, responsibilities and they're both about, they're both around, education. So one is, you know, academic education and I think I would like, obviously, you know, Anna can do whatever she wants in life, she doesn't need to have a why is that a father's responsibility?
Speaker 4:As soon as she doesn't end up on only fans, Maybe so, yeah, maybe not a father's responsibility, but I take it as my personal responsibility. So one is education academic, you know, make sure that she has got access to you, know, whatever she wants to do in life. And second is education, you know, in terms of wisdom, in terms of way of life, in terms of what's right or what's wrong. But I, yeah, I wouldn't like to be, you know, one of these overly protective parents. I think, yeah, you know, marcy is very protective and you know, I don't mind when Anna, you know, makes a little mistake or, you know, bumps into something once in a while. So, I think, a cautious approach.
Speaker 2:So I think that brings me to the next topic.
Speaker 1:If I may, or you want to no, because I mean Marcy Olsen-. Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah, because apparently one mistake and she might end up on only fans.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, let's go.
Speaker 1:Anna will never have like a webcam or anything of that sort, but I think let's put it in another perspective.
Speaker 2:So obviously you have a different idea, maybe for parenting, so maybe you can let us know what's your idea and then also what happened to your partnership, or did something happen? Or how do you two yeah, as being partners experience this, especially when there's maybe different opinions, and how did that go?
Speaker 3:Okay. So answering your first question, raising Anna, I think Adam's parents have different experience because they raised two boys. My parents raised two girls, so, and I think raising a boy and girl is totally different. So I need to make sure that my daughter, she can support herself. She has to be strong, she has to be a little feminist. So from now on, I always like, since she was quite small, I always give her choices in terms of what she's going to wear. So every day I give her two t-shirts or two outfits. When I ask her, anna, what would you like to wear, I think it's sometimes it's just a chance, which one she's going to grab. But I want to make sure that she's decisive and she knows what she wants. So that's the first thing. Second thing, I kind of mirror my parents when it comes to parenting style. They're quite laid back and they're very loving and very caring, and I always had a lot of toys and they would allow me to do pretty much everything Made by your dad too.
Speaker 3:Yes, your dad makes some great toys, yeah he's really good with woodwork, so he makes toys for Anna and I'm scared because we're going to Poland and apparently he made a lot of toys. You don't even be scared. No, I'm scared because I'm going to have to buy another luggage.
Speaker 1:But when you give her two pieces of clothing, is it like Wu-Tang Clan, because I saw the other day when we were at dinner at her house, right, she had the Cypress Hill shirt great album and then she had the Wu-Tang baby shirt. I was like another great album right there. Do you have like one Wu-Tang Clan and then one Cypress Hill, or is it like one Wu-Tang and then one Taylor Swift? Is that how you do the choices and you're like you better pick Wu-Tang.
Speaker 3:No, no Taylor Swift, because I don't listen to her music. So I think Anna will not be exposed to that kind of music. She will listen to rap, afrobeat, jazz and all the cool music.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all dirty bastard, all DB.
Speaker 3:But no, that Wu-Tang Clan T-shirt is. I only bought it because I have one, so I wanted to have matching outfits. But I just need to make sure that her outfits are comfortable. So I get a lot of outfits from my in-laws and they're all flowery and tight.
Speaker 1:So do you put them against?
Speaker 4:They're not included in the Anna selection. They're option number three, which is in the bottom drawer, that nobody has access to.
Speaker 1:So in case the in-law comes in, she's like, oh, where's all the clothes? It's there Somewhere.
Speaker 4:She just never picks them, she just never.
Speaker 1:She doesn't like them. I don't know.
Speaker 3:No, I just I like to be quite pragmatic when it comes to clothes. Okay, I do buy one of Wu-Tang Clan T-shirt for my baby, but I usually select the same style. So it has to be quite stretchy, quite comfortable, because our baby is very active, she climbs and she gets dirty, easy to wash, but you know, I mean just just.
Speaker 2:I mean, what that just does with me now actually is kind of. I mean, you're a hundred percent right in what you're doing, but it's kind of sad that raising a girl, you have to think about these things, because when I dress moon and I don't think about, oh, I want you to be decisive, I just want you to look cute and end. And I said that the other day I was like my God is so much I wish I would be a man sometimes. I mean, yeah, you're almost there Dressing a man, dressing a boy, it's so easy Short pants, t-shirt, that's it.
Speaker 1:I buy like shorts or pants that are made for girls and put it with a boy shirt and it just matches.
Speaker 3:I buy Anna's clothes in boys section most of the time because they're just much more pragmatic, they're easier, they're made to play around, they're not made to just like look pretty.
Speaker 1:Look pretty. Yeah, that's really crazy, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:This whole blue and pink thing, I mean and I read an article somewhere that we're going backwards, so apparently these stores for boys and girls, it's getting more extreme again. I was like, come on, seriously, but I mean it's crazy. We have to think about this as a woman, or later as a girl, as a teenager, you know. I mean you have to raise, yeah, I agree, yeah. And the other way around, I mean for me, that's why it's so important with Muna Nui, that we raise a good boy and later man that respects women, right, and that, yeah, respects feminist boys, actually a feminist, yeah.
Speaker 3:I think the most important thing for Anna to have around is to have good role models and I think our relationship will teach Anna how to behave in a relationship and what to expect from her partner. So Adam is very supportive and I think we have amazing relationship and I'm very grateful for that and Anna is always surrounded by love and respect and we don't fight, and a lot. Well, we fight sometimes, but we don't fight a lot. Certainly we don't fight in front of Anna and I think that's very important that she has this role model, especially Adam as this great role model, because later on she will know what kind of partner she should pick during her life and if she has a bad role model, dad, then it can impact her relationships in the future.
Speaker 1:I mean they learn from us at the end of the day, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. That's why there's those sayings, the more now that every day you're more and like every day is a new parenting day, and I'm like, oh yeah, there's a lot of these old saying. I was like I really get it, now Like it takes a village. Before I was like, whatever, now you're like I need two villages and a city, please.
Speaker 2:And yes, the apple doesn't fall and an army Exactly I need an army.
Speaker 1:I need a whole thing. Just you know what, just give me the whole city. But yeah, there's a lot of these things and they do learn from us, and so it's nice to hear that you guys are confident in yourself, confident in your couple, and that's that confidence is something that, anna, you know, in shallas, they say here will pick up and normally they do, because that's that's how you'll teach them and it's the same for us. We're very we're confident as people. We're confident in our couple. Of course we fight more than we did.
Speaker 2:I mean that way. For us it was definitely because we never fought much, but except, I think, maybe the first years there was. So we have a safe word. We implemented a safe word I think we've talked about it in one of the episodes before as well where when we start having an argument and it's getting too much, we, you can say the safe word and then we just stop because you know if you say something that you can't take back, you can really damage the relationship, right and so yeah, and we had to say it more. So I think now it's better, right.
Speaker 1:Much better, much better, much better.
Speaker 2:But I have to say recently I feel also my hormone. I mean I'm more, I'm easy to explode, I don't know, but I think it's really some. I heard just recently you need around two years to recover from birth and the hormones after breastfeeding. It takes a long time until it's all out of your body. So recently I really feel some changes and I'm like, okay, why am I bad like exploding? Yeah, I should.
Speaker 3:I was in Spain yesterday. We were driving somewhere and we were passing the Russell core, where flamingos hang out. Did you know that flamingos lose their pink color when they have a baby flamingo and that pink color only comes back when the baby is old? I can really relate to my pink is gone.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:I did not know that, but you know what that's a really good thing now. So that's a really good analogy. My pink is gone, I'm blue now.
Speaker 2:I'm actually wearing blue.
Speaker 1:Was there anything that Anna taught you guys like. Was there anything you discovered about yourselves that becoming apparent that Anna, like taught you as like you discovered about yourself that you didn't even know existed?
Speaker 4:I think that the main thing that I guess it allowed me to do is to kind of Live a bit more day by day, because they, they develop so quickly and they discover new things and you know, I think at these, these early years, every day they kind of do something different and if you're away for a week, you know you, the baby, has got new skills, which is which is amazing. So I think it it allowed me to kind of pause a bit more and, you know, leaving these like day type compartments and you know, just focus on the moment and just look at her and adore her and, you know, be proud of how quickly she's, she's growing.
Speaker 3:I don't know. I remember when she was born and we used to call her our guru, and I think that's what she is she's our guru, she's our spiritual leader.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she's our spiritual leader. We're not very religious, me and Adam, but it kind of changed. Like, like Adam said, it makes you pause and it makes you cherish those little moments and Just enjoy playing with her. Or yesterday she she was almost falling asleep and I came back from my pedicure appointment and I didn't know that she's falling asleep. So I just went into her room and when she saw me, she got super excited. She started jumping on her bed. So I couldn't just leave, I had to stay with her. And I stayed with her For maybe half an hour until she fell asleep and she was touching my hand and she was looking at me and it was just the best time and I didn't mind staying there and I wasn't thinking, okay, I could be chilling on the couch with a glass of wine and watching TV.
Speaker 3:No, I, it just Doesn't occur to me anymore, like those things are not important. What's important it's now and with her, and I know that I will never get this time back. So I need to, I really need to use it with her because she's gonna grow so quickly. And I always think, okay, this might be the last time when I'm Bottle feeding her in my arms, and actually I don't do that anymore because she can hold her own bottle. So I think it was two weeks ago I was I was bottle feeding her and I was thinking this could be the last time when I'm actually holding her in my arms and bottle feeding her, and I think it was the last time. So I was like really cherishing it. So I was like I was like really cherishing it. So, yeah, she just teaches us that, yeah, this, this could be the last time I think that's.
Speaker 1:That is probably one of the phrases for any parent. Yeah is everything could be the last time. This is gonna there is gonna be your last diaper, your last bottle, your last nipple, your last kiss. This, this is the last time. This could be the last time. It's really. It really puts a lot of things into perspective. Yeah, it's you. You get that Work smarter and not harder to enjoy the, the smaller things. Right it's. I saw you going there.
Speaker 1:You wanted to do a question. No, no, no, no. I just really thinking about what you just said which was beautiful.
Speaker 2:You know that. You say I, you know I could have. You're not missing that glass of wine on the couch and you actually cherish this moment because you know maybe you know I will be the last time she needs you actually to fall asleep, Although you could have had the class of wine while holding your hand on the couch.
Speaker 1:I had it afterward.
Speaker 3:That's another thing. In parenting, you never have the last glass of wine.
Speaker 1:There is, you just get more wine right. It's like this could be the last time, and yeah, I definitely need more wine. The latest gratification I call it mom juice it's also for dads. Yeah, wine helps. Wine does help, it really does. It does help. Can we go to the last question, which I think is beautiful? Which one?
Speaker 2:Well, question number 13, which we didn't ask all the questions but I think that one is really nice. You got an S, so basically just to, because we're speaking.
Speaker 1:I think almost an hour.
Speaker 2:So let's let's go to the last question. If given the chance, what would you like to express to your partner regarding the involvement of your partner? What would you like to express to your partner regarding the involvement and grows throughout this entire parenting journey?
Speaker 3:Who's going? First why did you ask this question? You knew.
Speaker 1:Depending on your answer.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, I think the the the main thing which I would say is that you know you're doing amazing well as a, as a parent. I think you know I kind of approach this without you know kind of expectations, just you know taking things as as they go. But yeah, I'm very, very impressed with you know how much, how much you changed, how much love you've got to give, how much energy you have and also how how much stamina you have. You know, in terms of your little processes, brushing the teeth, etc. Etc. Like you, you know, basically became this Super impressive mother machine. So, yeah, just wanted to say that I'm very proud of you and you're doing extremely well.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you, I try. Um well, I would like to say to you that I always, I'm always impressed with your, of your calmness and how, how calm you are and how you, because I'm I'm very emotional and when it comes to raising Anna, sometimes I get frustrated and angry and poor cut. I feel sorry for our cut because the cut always gets blame for everything.
Speaker 2:You only have reasons, a couple months, by the way so the cat is your second husband.
Speaker 3:No, the cut is always there. And the cut is so needy and the cut is always there and we get like, okay, so, for example, anna wouldn't go to sleep and the cut storms into her room and she sees it and she wants to play with it. Oh my god, this fucking cat ruins everything. And of course it's not cat's fault. He just wants to play and his Evening, it's his playtime, her playtime, and and I get very angry very quickly and Adam's always like, just calm down, it's fine. And he, he's always happy to take Anna for a walk and he always says you just take a long hot bath, just I'm gonna look after her. And it's just so important, I think, because I feel like I'm not alone, I feel like we're in this together. Obviously, as a mom, I do probably more than you do, because Anna wants me more. So she, she will often want me to Put her to sleep or she will want me to hold her, and our baby is Not very light. She's very happy.
Speaker 2:I can, I can Go from that.
Speaker 1:I like how the dad is like she's heavy and the mom was like she's not very light, she's not petite.
Speaker 4:It's becoming becoming a good exercise, but you do like squats with Anna on your back or lunges. Lunges are good Well.
Speaker 3:I've. I haven't been exercising for a long time and I've lost all my pregnancy weight, and Anna's the reason because I have to carry her all the time. She's still not very confident walker she's. She likes to crawl more than she walks, so she likes to be picked up and I have to pick her all the time and Adam's always like how do you do it? She's heavy for me, I don't know how you do it. And then he keeps telling me all your the word that he words that he just said, and it's just so uplifting and it just makes me want to be better and better. So thank you for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not being alone in this whole thing. I think that's, uh, that's the key. Not being alone is very important. Yeah, finding that right partner, that ride or die. Yeah, like we can go into dungeons together and slay some fucking dragons.
Speaker 2:We can lose our pink, but we're still blue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, normally when you say lose your pink, it's too in the stink, but whatever.
Speaker 3:I think our pink will come back.
Speaker 2:Oh yes.
Speaker 3:I mean not for us for a long time, because we're planning to have another baby. Uh, but you guys, you'll have your pink back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you guys. Yeah, cool joining us, good being here. Thank you, that was really really nice yeah, really cool.
Speaker 3:So much fun, thank you.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, bye, bye honey bunny, thank you. Love you too.