On this day one year ago, Gabriella chose Marty and I to be her parents. We have been blessed with the most amazing little girl! The past year has been an amazing one, with lots of ups and down (mainly ups!) as we learned how to be parents for the first time.
I must admit that for the first 6-8 weeks I didn’t know how on earth I was going to make it to the 1st year mark…but here we are…and we survived!
Personally, I feel like I have learned a million lessons this year, especially on how to be a more patient, and flexible person and not get so caught up with sleep routines (still working on this one)
I wanted to write this post to reflect on the year that has past but more importantly acknowledge the amazing women who have made my year a better one.
The boot camp mum’s group: Well I remember being so nervous about starting our mother’s group: “am I going to get on with them?, what if they are horrible women who look down on me for not breast feeding?….what if Gabriella cries?, what am I going to do?”…… I still remember that hot January day when we all met for the first time while Brenda the maternal and health child nurse gave us some talk on settling babies or something that I can’t even remember. All I remember was bonding over similar prams and feeling like there were 12 women in the room who were, or had gone through similar tough times during those first few weeks.
Over the next few months, as we got to know one another over many, many walks around the park and copious amounts of coffee at the local café, I realized how much I had learned from each of them and will forever be grateful for their advice and support throughout the year. We are so lucky to have formed such a great support network. We have cried to one another, spoken endlessly about our baby’s poos, shared our birthing stories, supported one another through day care drop off debacles and of course celebrated all of our baby’s milestones. Thank you girls for an amazing year, I will miss our regular coffee chats or random dates to coles! I hope that we continue to meet over the years and I am really looking forward to watching our kids’ grow.
Tiffany; I still remember during some point around week 2 when Marty came home from work and said “ Tiffany came in to work today and she mentioned she has gone through some of the things we are going through now…..you should really give her a call, I think she will be able to share some good advice”.
Well, you have been an amazing support throughout my first year as a mum. That first conversation we had about when to “implement” save our sleep and that when I got to week 6 or 8 things will start looking up. You were right! I have enjoyed our endless chats via texts about poos, sleep routines, settling techniques , how many blankets we use on our babies etc. Thank you for “checking in” on me during those early weeks when I thought I wouldn’t know how the hell I was going to get through another day without crying. I will never forget your comment about the fact that when you become a mum its like you form a sisterhood with other mums as you pass on your learnings with one another…how true that is!
Lise: THANK YOU THANK YOU for introducing me to save our sleep! Its been a hard slog at times but it has been worth it. Gabriella is a great sleeper and its all down to you telling me how well it had gone with Remy. I still remember ringing you various times and saying “ Lise, Gabriella has woken up after only 40 mins..should I try and resettle?” …. I look back at those conversations and if someone was listening they would have thought I was crazy, haha!
You are an amazing friend (nearly 20 years can you believe!!), and I hope that somehow we can live in the same city one day so that Remy and Gabriella can become good friends.
My neighbours….Jess and Sophie. I don’t even know WHERE to start! You girls are like family and I am so grateful for all your help, support ,and our many dinner dates to “kill time” between 5pm and 7pm when it seemed to be the witching hour for our girls. But above all, thank you for loving Gabriella like she is one of your own.
Jess; If it wasn’t for that beautiful card in the post congratulating us on the birth of Gabriella, who knows if we would have become friends haha! Thank you for all your help and support throughout the year. You are an amazing mum and you have taught me how to be a more relaxed mother and not get so caught up with routines . I love that I can text and ask if I can borrow an egg, or the fact that I can turn up to your house in my pyjamas. Gabriella adores you, and Marty and I look forward to watching Amy grow. Bring on more back yard dinners and play dates!
Sophie; Mrs Mangle #2…Well….where should I start? Thank you for the many laughs (at ourselves, and our girls!), pool parties in your backyard, babysitting duties, cake making activities, Kardashian wedding frenzy, and for making me realize that I am not the only person going crazy when my baby would wake up when she wasn’t “supposed”to. We have become great friends in just a short space of time and you are an amazing mum too and I look forward to plenty more backyard dinners with the girls and hopefully many play dates on our days off! Gabriella loves hanging out at your place (we will have to work on her thieving ways) and one of the other things that I love is watching her face brighten up when we get to your place or Jess’.
Now lets begin life with a toddler!!
x
