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Guests
Lorraine
EricaWelcome this week’s guest blogger Lorraine Pond AKA LoLo of Bobs & LoLo
I’m writing this while nearly 37 weeks into my first pregnancy. The finish line is almost in view…or maybe that’s only just the starting line??
Deciding to have a baby is a life-changing decision. Actually growing a baby is MIND-BOGGLING! The last 8 months have been filled with experiences that I definitely couldn’t prepare for in advance regardless of how hard my ‘type A’ self tried! The combined roles of rookie-mommy-to-be and CEO of my own company proved to be full of challenges (many of them still in existence), but the journey has been rewarded with some of the most profound experiences of my life.
My husband and I talked for a long time about our dreams of starting a family (we’ve been together for 11 years), and my business partner, Robyn Hardy (Bobs) and I also chatted at length about what starting families could mean for the general operations of our company, our live performances and our many development projects. It’s hard to predict some things, and the impact of bringing a baby into the world is one of those unknowns. I did know with all surety that being a mom was something I really wanted, and when the time felt right (or close enough), I made the leap with 100% confidence that things would work out.
Prego Lesson 1: Open communication with close friends and family about specific needs and anxieties is the first step in absolving most fears. Change can be good!
On set at 36 weeks!
Like our music videos, the behind-the-scenes world of Bobs & LoLo is high-energy and dynamic. This did not change with pregnancy. In fact, pregnancy probably just heightened everything because we were now working under a concrete timeline. Over the last few months, I have performed 60 live shows, written, recorded and released a new album, and continued, alongside Robyn, to manage all of our own marketing, promotions and distribution. Our schedule definitely had it’s tough moments for me, although I did learn that that the regular challenges of my job and life did somewhat prepare me for many of the common pregnancy hurdles including emotional highs and lows, inexplicable exhaustion and the need to accept the ever-changing physical limitations of my own body!
Prego Lesson 2: Expect the unexpected, but have confidence in your own intuition to tell you what you need in each moment. Everyone will have an opinion, but you know best what can and will work for you. Trust yourself!
I feel very fortunate to have an amazing support network around me. My family, friends and our little fans cheer me on every day. I believe all of these groups helped make my pregnancy as brilliant as it was. Even the tough times (ex. the need for a puke bucket backstage during the first three months or the MANY moments of hormonal irrationality) can now be looked back on with laughter rather than frustration, in large part because of the way my husband, family and friends helped me through. My connections with the people around me, and their shared joy about the wee one growing inside me, motivated me to not just roll with the punches, but leap over many of the bumps along the way.
Prego Lesson 3: Laughter IS the best medicine. For more check out Erica and Lorraine’s last blog post. Laugh!
The new Bobs & LoLo album is called Connecting the Dots, and the overarching theme of the album is “connections”. While the songs are written for kids and reflect fun messages about things like play learning and discovery (Outer Space) or the adventures of a daily schedule (Tick Tock), many of the songs also oddly reflect my pregnancy experiences. Smile, Goodnight Dreams and Family Tree are just a few examples. Coincidence? Maybe.
Album cover shoot at 5 months pregnant. At least we still had wardrobe options – this changed soon thereafter!
Robyn and I have always placed emphasis on the value of the content we create for children. While we obviously want our music and supporting media to be fun and entertaining, we strive to write songs that meet those parameters and more. Learning opportunities are a leading influence in all the material we create, and we continually look for unique ways to weave educational messaging into our songs and live shows. A lot of our inspiration is drawn from our own experiences growing up together, and as evident in our latest project, simply from life in general.
The creative process behind Connecting the Dots will always hold memories archiving the emotions I experienced carrying my first child. Already I can’t help but smile about some of the funnier moments such as recording in studio while continually getting booted in the ribs by little dancing legs and some of the more challenging times like madly popping Tums to try to control crazy heartburn while jumping around on stage. As funny as it may sound, I really did enjoy every moment!
Prego Lesson 4: Celebrate the good times and the crazy times. It’s all part of the experience and time flies by fast. Live in the moment!
Recently I’ve been feeling a little sad that my adventures as a rookie-mommy-to be are coming to a close. I know that if I am lucky enough to be pregnant again one day, the experience is sure to be different the second time around. That said, I am also excited about the next stage in this crazy process – parenthood!
There is a huge community of amazing and talented mom-preneurs out there, and I look forward to joining the introductory ranks. Until then, I am proud to be a prego-prenuer – at least for another couple weeks!
What did you learn during your pregnancy? Have any of those lessons carried through to your adventures as a parent?
To listen to sample songs from the new Bobs & LoLo album – Connecting the Dots – including Family Tree, please visit www.bobsandlolo.com/music.
Bobs & LoLo are dedicated to connecting kids to the natural world with music, movement and make-believe. Sharing musical stories that engage, inspire and educate, they teach kids to care about themselves, their neighbours and the planet.
Growing up together on Vancouver Island, Robyn Hardy (Bobs) and Lorraine Pond (LoLo) have always shared a love of the natural world and a passion for working with children. Creating the dynamic duo Bobs & LoLo has allowed these award-winning artists to combine their diverse academic backgrounds with a mutual love of teaching and the creative arts.
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Read Other Recent Guest Blog Posts
Ameena Falchetto with Elimination Communication for Everyone
Amy Maurer-Creel with Pursue Your Dreams
Samantha Montpetit-Huynh with Getting Off to the Right Start with Postpartum Exercise
Dr. Shaireen Lalani with What Lurks in a Rookie Mom’s Mouth
Irena Omotani with Have No Fear, Mommy Connections is Here
Filed under: Parenting, Pregnant Tagged: | Baby, Bobs & LoLo, Connecting the Dots, Family, infant, Kids' Music, Motherhood, new baby, new mom, Parenting, pregnant, rookie mom, Vancouver
This is such a great blog post!!! Being a huge fan of Bobs & Lolo my daughter and I have been following Lorraine’s pregnancy
Knowing what pregnancy is like it… Lorraine has completely blown me away with her energy, grace and beauty! There is no way I could have done even half of the things she has done during her pregnancy!!!
Looking forward to all your future CD’s that will no doubt be inspired by your little one!
Good luck with the delivery and we can’t wait to hear about your precious baby Lorraine…one thing is for sure…your baby is so lucky to have you as a Mom!
[...] Check out LoLo’s guest blog on Survival4Moms.com if you’re interested in learning more about our recent adventures in the world of Music, Movement & Morning Sickness! [...]