Took a trip down memory lane on how I ended up with where I am now in my life, and I realize that ever since I met Sean, I hardly took a break! Instead, I took many, many leaps of faith! You see, I was never really the kind of person who would study hard for anything. Play hard, yes. Study even a little? No way. I still remember my secondary school mathematics teacher asking me this when I failed yet another maths test, “When will you stop your honeymoon period and start working hard?” Truth be told, I had no intentions of stopping at all back then.
But after being with Sean, I jumped into everything. Before I graduated from Republic Polytechnic in New Media, I was already taking bridging courses at Murdoch University for my Bachelor in Mass Communications. And before I graduated from Murdoch University, I was already working at Mediacorp as a Programme Liaison Executive. And even then, I was still fooling around, though I got every job and assignment given to me done.
Can you tell how happy I was when I got the job at Mediacorp?
It was my first (and only) full-time job, and in the department I had dreamt to be part of 😀
I only started to focus a little more when I found out I was pregnant with Blake.
I resigned my job at Mediacorp, and took on a part time job as a New Media Trainer, teaching young students things my facilitators taught me in Republic Polytechnic. I spent most of my first pregnancy time doing something that I found myself to truly enjoy! I even went back to teach when Blake was settled in school, and I was pregnant with Nakayla!
All that aside, I guess I didn’t have much to lose back then. I had just started out in the working world, and I did not really have to think too much about the finances as I almost always left it to Sean. It was definitely easier for me to give it all up and become at stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) for Blake. I was very, very lucky.
Now, you must be wondering why I say I was very lucky despite the numerous screaming and shouting to a very unfortunate pillow, and constant ranting online to family and friends who are on my social networks, about how my life is stuck in a rut? Because when I look at these, there is no amount of money or travelling or sleep that could bring so much joy and tears to me at the same time…
I won’t be able to imagine not being present for these moments too!
Too, too precious moments to miss! And with at least one of us staying home to look after the children, taking photos and videos for the one putting food on the table makes things easier. Sean may have missed the immediate moment when it happened, but if I managed to capture them on camera, it’s as though he didn’t miss anything!
And did I mention the joy of being able to go out when everyone else is working, and have the shopping malls to myself (and fellow SAHM troopers)? That is a definite plus for someone who does not fancy shopping in a crowded place, like me. I could also just pop by Sean’s work place to meet him for lunch whenever I could. And one of the things I enjoy as a SAHM benefit – I get to shower whenever I want to!
HUGE disclaimer ahead: It’s not all nice and dandy all the time.
I may stall on the housework front from time to time, but I definitely cannot put a stop to any baby duties.
There were times where I was sick, and I still had to get myself out of bed to take care of them. And I don’t visit the doctor until Sean’s home. There is absolutely no way I will bring the children to the clinic with me, exposing them to germs when they are perfectly fine. And that reminds me of the time I sprained my back while playing with Blake (I got carried away), and I still had to carry him, feed him, and clean him up, until Sean returned home from work. I moved like a baby learning how to walk, but with agonizing pain. There was also that one time, when Sean worked late, I had to literally change Blake’s soiled diapers single-handedly, while carrying Nakayla. Don’t even get me started on the mess just one child can make. This post will never end if I did. Haha.
Till this day, I still have no idea how I managed to do some of the things I did, but I did it. I did them all somehow. Haha. Staying home for my children definitely made me push myself to limits that I never knew was possible. Even at my fittest, when I was on the netball team, I thought running around the court 12 times, followed by 240 male push ups in one training session, or playing a full day of netball from 7am-7pm, were my toughest days ever. But after being a SAHM, those seem easy-peasy in comparison!
Did this when the “how _____ see ____” meme was all the rage cos I couldn’t find any on SAHM!
And as though the children alone were not enough to keep me occupied, I took on whatever paying jobs I could do from home (Ribbons and Tape, La Canine Coupes, and baking to name a few). I even started this blog to remind myself of their growing up!
This whole ‘mommified’ process was definitely something neither I nor anyone else who knew me back then would ever imagine me to be. So, to answer my teacher’s question… Mdm, my honeymoon period stopped the moment I became a mother.
