2014 really was a big year, perhaps my biggest ever. I know for a fact I’ll look back when I’m old and grey and think that it was one to remember! Not only did my husband and I spend half of it travelling Europe and America (while juggling work and blogging in my case) but we also got pregnant with our first child. Considering it was to be our “get travel out of our system before we start a family” trip, that all worked out pretty well, eh? We feel ridiculously blessed and fortunate. Other highlights included helping interior designer Greg Natale, for whom I have huge respect, write his first book, and going to Dubai with 21 other bloggers last month as part of Australia’s largest ever social tourism campaign. 2014 also marked my second full year of blogging as a full-time job.
The prospect of parenthood is probably equal parts exciting and terrifying from where I’m sitting. I mean, I’ve never done it before, so you can only be so prepared. All I know is that I will take this new job really seriously (while trying not to be one of those highly strung, control freak mums, as could so easily be my nature!) and in return, despite all the sleepless nights, I’m expecting it to be the most rewarding role I’ll ever have.
I’m really motivated to be the best parent I can be. I lost my mum when I was three years old, but I’m lucky to have many mum friends who I count as excellent role models and fonts of knowledge. As for my husband, I know he’ll be a fantastic dad.
Many people are obsessed with warning new parents how life will never be the same again and we have no IDEA how hard it’s going to be (it’s the smug, patronising tone that gets me!) and we will never have any time, or stuff, for ourselves ever again. I don’t think I need warning. I’m fully aware it will be hard, there will be lack of sleep, I will have to sacrifice and go without. But I wish more people would bang on about the benefits and the rewards, of which parenthood also brings many. I have enough friends with kids to know that much.
As for how juggling running a business and being a mum will go, it’s a little scary, yes, but something I will just have to experiment with and tweak as I go. There’s no year off work when you have your own business and while I intend to take some maternity leave, I’m conscious that the business I’ve worked so hard to build doesn’t suffer. So that means working smarter and more outsourcing among other things, to allow me to spend precious time with our bub. And then I’m sure there’ll be the inevitable mother guilt but I think I’ll worry about that later. One thing at a time, right?!
And did I mention I’m launching a second blog next month? No, it won’t be a mummy blog, but can you guess what it will be about? Go on, have a punt below in the comments!
Happy New Year to you all. May your 2015 be challenging, rewarding, happy and healthy!
I’ll get back to my nesting…
Jen x