Happy after-Christmas, before New Year’s period! I hope the Chrissy comedown has been gentle. I had a funny tummy after about 3 litres of trifle but, on the plus side, spent a day in bed while Daddy-daycare took care of Bubba and Alfie and I snuggled our way through my trifle-troubles.
But now that 2012 is drawing to a close I thought it was a good time to see what I can remember about the year that has been. A blogger who writes at Kate on thin ice came up with the questions and invited other bloggers to give it a go. You can read Kate’s highs and lows here. I liked the idea, it was a bit like the friendship books of yore that I spent so much homework time filling out. So here’s mine:
1. What was your happiest event?
Finding the perfect pair of ugg boots at Target. Not really, of course it was the birth of my beautiful daughter. I remember clearly thinking that I finally knew why I had always wanted to be a Mum.
2. What was the saddest thing to happen?
Hmmm, to be honest it has generally been a personally very happy and fulfilling year, and I’m very grateful for that. I probably felt saddest on seeing the coverage of the shooting in Newtown, it was my first time seeing something so horrendous as a mother and I think it made it even more shocking.
3. What was the most unlikely thing to happen that you actually went ahead and did?
Well, it was kind of out of my hands but probably having a c-section. I was dead-set against having a caesarean when I was pregnant and wanted an all-natural birth. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on your point of view) Bubba had other plans involving staying inside my tummy for as long as possible. After being induced 11 days late and getting through 12 hours of pretty rough labour the doctor called for an emergency c-section because the baby was not moving down, nothing was progressing and she was in distress with the big contractions. The Viking had had such strict instructions to avoid a c-section at all costs I was glad to have my Mum there to just look at us and say “it’s the right choice,” and for us it was. And it meant I got to hold my baby sooner, which is really what it’s all about. It changed my opinion on setting strict goals for myself, especially around new experiences. Now, if I’m ever asked for labour advice I just say – “keep an open mind, don’t rule anything out because you may not know what’s best for you until you’re there.”
4. Who let you down?
Unfortunately someone did let me down, and it’s been the only real dampener on a fantastic year. I think having a baby brings out the ‘real’ people in your life, those who send love and support and share their joy with you. I know the world shouldn’t stand up and applaud because I had a baby but for someone I’ve shared many big life experiences with to ignore the entire event really upset me.
5. Who supported you?
I think being a Mum changes your relationship with your own Mum so much. My Mum was with me during the last weeks of pregnancy, trying her best to keep my spirits up as I became a very angry overdue pregnant woman – liable to taser anyone within reaching distance. She was here when the baby arrived and has been back to visit twice since. It’s not cheap or easy to flit over from New Zealand to Melbourne on such a regular basis so I really appreciate her stopping her life to come and support us all – she does get paid well in Bubba snuggles and giggles though.
6. Tell us one thing you learned
I think I learned how to worry at an expert level. In retrospect, I’ve never been a full-time worrier, but now – as a mother – I worry ALL THE TIME. From pregnancy, when you’re counting kicks, avoiding brie cheese and watching horror birth videos, to actually having a baby when you’re worrying about SIDS, choking, drowning, strangers in white vans, wild animals, overheating, freezing, whooping cough, immunising or not immunising, needles, carseats, egg yolks or egg whites, teeth, no teeth, sore teeth, crawling, power-points, dog-hair ingestion, sleep patterns, blocked noses, public poo-explosions, power-spews, sore bottoms, falls, sharp corners, etc etc… And don’t even get the Viking started on booty shorts and dating. Although he doesn’t tend to worry, just draw very clear lines in the sand about what Bubba WILL NOT DO/WEAR/SAY/DATE etc…
I’m sure she will be happy sitting on the couch with her Mama watching ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ until she’s 40 anyway.
7. Tell us one thing that made you laugh
In the fug of new-babyness that had us sleep-deprived and sliding down the walls like zombies I heard a very un-Viking like squeal from the baby’s room. Upon entering I saw a thoroughly horror-stricken looking Viking standing at the changing table saying “she peed UP the curtain!” At the time, I laughed for about 15 minutes, and it still makes me smile. His face was priceless.
8. Tell us one thing that made you cry
Surprising my Dad by turning up in New Zealand with Bubba. Dad is such a proud Grandad and not meeting her in the flesh really upset him. It was a really beautiful moment in my year and my whole life. I blogged a bit about it here.
9. Tell us three things your child or children did to make you feel proud.
i: she was a perfect passenger on her first flights and saved me from having to grovel apologetically to everyone on a 747
ii: every time we’re in a shop with loud music on she starts bopping in her pushchair and I just love it
iii: just being her beautiful little self. She’s a smiler and a giggler and a total joy that (insert cheesy but apt cliché) lights up my every day.
10. Tell us one thing that made you proud of yourself.
I’m proud of how I juggled so many things when Bubba was small. I had a new baby that hardly slept during the day (and a needy spoodle) and I managed to work from home for a few hours a week writing web content, start a blog, do some freelance PR work, write three children’s books, have a social life with my mothers’ group and get to the gym a few times. I didn’t have family in town to drop the baby with when things got busy so I’m proud of how I made it all work.
11. Tell us one challenge you overcame
Well I guess I’m in the midst of overcoming the challenge of post-baby weight-loss. It’s a struggle, my fat cells are just having one big, long party in my ass and there’s only so much I can do about that. But, I’m working on it. My new thing is juicing, which I’ll blog about soon – no, not juicing myself, juicing fruit and veg, sit tight for detox news. I’ve just accepted that I have many blessings in life (beautiful family, nice hair and strong nails etc…) but a speedy metabolism and natural slimness are not amongst them, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll stop trying. J-lo’s abs keep me focused.
12. Tell us three things you would like to change about your life in 2013.
i: See aforementioned size of ass
ii: I’d like to do more with my writing, it’s been a constant pleasure in my life so I’d like to do more of it. I’ve mentioned the kids’ books and I’ve got a few other ideas on the back burner – and now that Bubba is crawling she sleeps for at least an hour in the morning, so that’s plenty of time to get stuff done – especially if I completely cut out showering.
iii: Well I’m getting married in a few months so I guess I’ll be changing from this crazy ‘Sex & the City’ lifestyle to more of a Mrs Brady version. Ha, I’m not sure how different I’ll be as someone’s wife but I am really looking forward to the wedding and making an honest man of the Viking.
And that’s that. Gosh, that was quite a lot and rather introspective.
Now, in true friendship book style, if you’d like to copy and paste the questions above and blog about it yourself please do, just link back to this post and Kate’s post and put your website in the comments below so we can check it out.
Watch yourself 2013, I’ve got my eye on you.
Thanks for reading,
Steph
xx
