Just like that – the first year of our little man’s life is now water under the bridge.
Everyone says it goes so fast, and it’s such a cliche, but it is true.
We have learned so much in the first year of our son’s life, and I would love to share this, if only to keep a record.
1. I need to use my time wisely.
Back in the day, I used to get to work at 7am every morning. I would buy a coffee on the way in, get some solid planning or paperwork done, stuff around in the staffroom, and then start my teaching day. After work, I would go for a run and ponder about things, like what I might cook for dinner….
I had oodles and oodles of time, and yet, I got nothing done. Well, nothing life changing, anyway.
Now? It’s absolutely nothing like that.
I have very little spare time, but I try to make it all count. I started my masters 6 weeks before falling pregnant, and I released my book on the day I had my IVF transfer. I wish I had a ‘secret’, but all I can say is that I don’t stuff around anymore. I get up early if I need to, I study in waiting rooms, when Soren is sleeping, on my lunch break, at night, or in the car – I set up Siri on my phone so I can record ideas for my essays on the drive to work. My only rule is that I don’t study around Soren, although I did read some of my semester one textbook to him before I made this rule.
I’m not super-Mum, I’m just super organised…. mostly (except for right now – I’m actually meant to be studying).
2. You don’t know what you don’t know.
Before I had my son, I had this plan of staying home full time for at least 3 years, then including some relief teaching work down the track. About 6 months in, I was losing my head, to the point where I ended up taking on some relief, then a full-time contract for a short while. I felt immense guilt for not being the stay-at-home Pinterest Mum, but with time, I realised that finding the right balance was what was required – not for me to fit myself into someone else’s truth.
For me, that means part-time work and part-time Mum. And that’s okay.
3. I needed to have a few test-runs of the first birthday cake, and then forgive myself for over-catering on the day.
I really wanted his first birthday to be amazing, so I did practice runs of his first cake. It’s fortunate that I did, because the first one fell to pieces when I took it out of the oven. My best advice is to find yourself a cake-making friend, if you can, and pick their brain (but not to pieces).
I realised, too, that I bought way WAY too much food. I may have gotten a bit ambitious with Instagram and their targeted birthday food ads….
But it’s all good. We made it, with cake in tow.
Our first overseas trip together is the next adventure on the horizon…. more blogs to come – after all, I can’t procrastinate without an audience.
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