There is just one month left before I leave my 20s behind. Birthdays are always a time of reflection, and even more so on the precipice of a new decade. Your 20s are the first decade of adulthood, so in many ways it’s a time for finding yourself, discovering who you are and what you want to be. It’s a major transitional period and I love that I can look back at the last…
Loving Your Postpartum Body
A woman’s relationship with her postpartum body is a complex one. It is a body which has given life to another human; a precious new soul, through nourishment and safety. It has endured the intensity of birth. It is truly miraculous and awe inspiring. Then there’s the inevitable changes to a woman’s body that come hand-in-hand with pregnancy and birth, which can be difficult to accept. The weight gain. The stretch marks. The loss…
Coping with Trauma Anniversary Reaction
These days, I know to expect it. As the end of August nears, the panic rises, the night sweats begin. I wake up in the darkness to the cries of my daughter, and discover I am soaked, my chest slick with sweat. The days bring a heavy melancholy, a sadness I can’t quite place, and the tears, always on the precipice, come easily. As September arrives and the promise of…
Making Memories & Messes
What kind of home do you have? What kind of environment do you hope to create? For me, I want to be the kind of mother who makes my children laugh, who says yes to adventures, running barefoot in the garden and indoor picnics. Who gets up and dances with them, builds forts and plays with water indoors, jumps on beds and makes messes with them. I want to be a mother who creates a…
My Candid Reality
This is my reality. These maternity pants, with their elasticited waistband, soft fabric and perfect amount of stretch, which allow me to move freely and uninhibited. When I’m crawling beside my daughter, kneeling and playing cars with my son. Bending, stretching, reaching. Constantly, throughout the day as I tend to the never-ending demands and needs of a toddler and a baby. These pants which are highly unflattering but oh-so convenient, with their softly…
Documenting Family Life
When Henry was born, I did what any new parent does – I took thousands of photographs. I wanted to capture every detail, every marvellous curve and feature of this miraculous little being that Matt and I had created. I was enthralled by him, mesmerised by his miniature perfection. Before I knew it, I had thousands upon thousands of photographs of the most precious person in my life. It didn’t…
A Fresh Start in a Familiar Place
It is a delight to be writing here again, after so many months without my creative outlet. My new site is finally ready, and I can once again return to the place that has evolved as I documented my journey over the years. What once started as a beauty blog many years ago has now grown into a journal of motherhood. I have changed a lot since I first began…
Five Months with Everly Rose
Was there ever a sweeter vision than the gentle curve of those soft cheeks, those long lashes that frame those deep blue eyes that have given me insight into myself, and those delicate rosebud lips that find me. Everly has been with us for five months in person, and with each day she shows us more of her soul. When she is herself, she is quiet and at ease. She gives…
Life With Two Children
Life with two children is busy. And exhausting. As a stay-at-home mama, my day is a balancing act between meeting the needs of three people. It is a never-ending cycle of nursing, diaper changes, toddler tantrums, meal preparation, rocking to sleep, playing, tidying up, washing clothes and folding laundry. It’s also laughter and silliness, cuddles and kisses, the joy of watching your children interact – sometimes with giggles, sometimes with…
How to Overcome A Traumatic Birth Experience
Traumatic birth experiences. As if childbirth isn’t emotionally and physically difficult enough as it is, there’s those who will have a birth experience that will leave them traumatised, and possibly with PTSD. I’ve been unfortunate in that all three of my birth experiences have been traumatic – enduring 12 hours of labour with William and Noah, knowing that they would die soon after their birth; the anxiety during Henry’s labour…
