I’m Amanda. I’m thirty-two years old and live in the beautiful (albeit often very chilly!) prairie province of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Family…

My husband, Lyndon, and I went to school in neighboring small towns our entire lives but officially met when we both took vacations with friends and ended up at the same resort in Mexico! After seven years together, we got married in July 2018.  After our “last hurrah” European honeymoon, we set our sights on parenthood, and we are now proud parents to our son, Cade Brooks Ellis, born September 16, 2019.

Work…

I am proud to be a Registered Psychologist and absolutely love my job working for a rural school division. In the past, I have provided student counselling services, and presently (when not on maternity leave, that is!), I provide psychoeducational assessment services to students of all ages. I adore working with kiddos and providing support to families and school teams to ensure that every child understands his/her unique self and receives the support that he/she needs to succeed! 

Life…

My day-to-day life is pretty ordinary. I am a podcast junkie (originally due to my long work commute) and now that I’m at home with my boy for the year, he has the pleasure of listening to Bachelor recaps with me! ;P

I love nothing more than cuddling up on the couch (with salt & vinegar chips!), watching reality TV, and going to bed ridiculously early (sleep could possibly be considered one of my favourite pastimes). I used to call myself a “10 hour girl” but any parent knows that is laugh worthy! I’m adjusting… kind of.

During the long, cold, winter months, you can find me at the curling rink with team “Hack Attack” or hibernating indoors with friends and a glass of wine (or two…). During the summer months, you can find me outside reading a good book or on a patio soaking up the sunshine, trying out the latest restaurant our city has to offer! I absolutely love to travel, and am beyond fortunate enough to have visited some incredible places around the world throughout my twenties.

An Unexpected Journey…

Up until our twenty-week ultrasound, I was naïve to the term “limb difference”. I had never heard of the Lucky Fin Project, nor had I ever taken the time to read the many personal stories that can be found online written by people with limb differences and by parents raising children with limb differences. After learning that our babe would be born with a left hand limb difference (see my first few blog posts for details), my eyes were opened to a world of incredible human beings who are thriving despite physical differences. It was reading these unique stories, connecting with these special people, and seeing pictures of smiling, uniquely-made, little ones that inspired me to begin documenting my own journey into parenthood as a “lucky fin mama”.

The Hand We’re Dealt is intended to be a raw, real, (and “punny”!) ode to the reality that as much as we plan, the twists and turns of life cannot always be anticipated. As a woman who self-admittedly loves certainty and comfort (i.e. an anxious person’s two favourite things!), navigating uncharted territory is absolutely terrifying. Our story has only just begun. I do not know what lies ahead, but I do know one thing… that I am finding peace in the idea of embracing the unknown through writing. It is my sincere hope that by doing so, I can become a proud advocate for limb difference awareness, while creating a space where readers can find aspects of relatability in my story that hopefully, bring them peace and comfort (as other’s stories did for me), as they navigate the hands that they’ve been dealt…

Never hesitate to reach out!

Love, Amanda

xo