2022 Recap and 2023 Kickstart

 

Season's Greetings and all that! Holy heck it is 2023! Well, most of January has passed but I have been busy plus who expects a new year's combined past year reflection post almost at the end of January?! Exactly. No- one. And you are welcome.

I am one of the few that didn't think 2022 wasn't all that bad, in fact, there were fantastic moments that I am grateful for and they far outshone the bad times. I wouldn't normally do a full year in review like this but given that it's good to be reminded of a good year and all that entails, this seemed like the best way for me to start off 2023.

The year started off the back of a memorable Xmas spent in Mosselbaai then home for a New Year's braai to really bring in 2023. It was also the time when we found out that we needed to seek the services of a fertility clinic to help us grow our family. We also decided that as things were a tad safer COVID-wise that we could set a date for a Big Fat Indian Wedding and start planning so those video calls started happening and budgets etc got made.

February was the start of fertility clinic Dr visits that were comforting and gave us a lot of hope for the future. It was also when The Husband had a bunch of fermentation projects going  - chilli, beetroot, pear cider and amber ale. Measurements and house plans also began as repairs were needed, given we were staying for a few more years and not moving to the farm as planned.

In March we went to a destination wedding in East London - Kraigan and Anisha tied the knot and it was lovely. It was a great way to show The Husband what to expect in June (18 June was the chosen date for ours) and it was a lovely little getaway. I was sadly working in between but a lot of fun was had. At the end of the month, I had my laser eye screening in the hope of fixing my eyes. 

Just before Easter weekend in April, I had major surgery - my left fallopian tube was removed as it was a major factor in my not getting pregnant due to blockages. That was found out after a rather painful test involving ink being injected into both fallopian tubes that left me in pain for a day and a half. We celebrated our first anniversary at home because I was in operation recovery and couldn't go anywhere. But the deposit for the hall and decor for the wedding was paid for and The Husband was bitten by a tiny mad Jack Russel.

May began with the first of many expensive rabies injections for him, the start of wedding venue calls and Whatsapps and my first Lasik surgery consultation. The operation took place on 18 May, we got to see my old neighbour Andrew and finalised a lot of wedding plans including playlists etc. I also had my eggs scrutinized for fertilization to take place.

June was busy! My womb is checked for readiness and two high-grade, fertilized eggs were implanted in me while I was fast asleep. The seating plan and duties list for the wedding was finished along with all other wedding things and teeth cleaning. Then the drive to Pmb to get married again and this is how that went. happily the day we were getting married, as my makeup was being done and before I could be dressed, we were called to confirm I was pregnant! But we had to keep that a secret until the drive home for the second blood test to 100% verify that result.

July was full of ultrasounds which were emotional and lovely. The month ended with me turning 40 and being whisked away for a birthday weekend with the woofs to a nature reserve. The Husband knows what I need - we went on gentle hikes, and Widget and Smudge went on their own hikes to the "delight" of The Husband who had to bring them back. It was freezing but man oh man was it lovely, the last proper holiday we would have for a while and definitely the last with us being a family of 4.

August was another busy month, the draughtsperson came through to redo all the house building plans and add the renovations bits to go for municipality approval. I had a very important NIPT test to determine if down syndrome was a concern and also to check on the sex of our hybrid. Then I flew off to Pmb for two weeks because The Husband was away for work. I got to celebrate my birthday with my brother and get spoilt by everyone which was lovely. It was there that we learnt we were having a baby boy :) I was buying sweetmeats at the time, how fitting! The month ended with an analysis of the NIPT scan and some extra checks, we also saw our baby's skeletal head. OBYGYNs love this part because they don't prep you for it, You're both all smiles as they show you the different parts and organs then boom! Scary skeletal baby, it was very rock n roll.

In September I got to meet Eliot and what a fantastic baby he is! I also went back to my gynae for the start of monthly scheduled visits. I also tried a pregnancy massage which was not pleasant but only because the person didn't know how to do one and ended up hurting me. The rule of thumb ladies is that no pregnancy massage ever touches the belly or has you lying on the belly, ever. We had a lovely midweek beach day with the woofs and a clean bill of eye health after my Lasik surgery. I decided it was time to try Prenatal Yoga and started my first class. As someone who had never done Yoga before this was scary at first but so relaxing afterwards. 

October was meant to be pretty chill so I also started some short coaching sessions to learn about what it is about and see if it could benefit me as I already go to therapy. I also flew back to Pmb to help my mum out who had a bout of bad health and since I was fit to fly it made sense to do so. I learnt a lot about how difficult pregnancy can be because I worked during that time and what was normally fairly easy stuff was not. My feet were so swollen that my dad had to find and clean the foot massager for me to use. I also struggled to sleep without my pregnancy pillow despite using a million pillows to prop myself up. I was pretty moody too but it was more the physical issues that really humbled me. I take my virtual hat out to all the mums past and present that juggle so much because it is difficult. People really don't appreciate that enough. The month ended with a visit from my cousin and her family with the reminder that I got this and that all will be well.

In November I increased my fitness routine to include pilates and a fitness class, combined with my therapy, coaching sessions, meditation apps and sit down, stand-up routine I was able to mostly handle the changes my body was undergoing. There were bad days indeed but mostly days that meant I could cope. The Husband was on another work trip that got extended so my mental health took a huge dip. We had terrible builders messing around and I had my mum-in-law helping out but it was all too much for me. It was the darkest time in my pregnancy journey and when I look back now I am glad I had all the classes etc in place to help. Who knows how bad things would have been for me if I didn't stay fit and healthy. At least I got to see The Waterboys live and have a lovely Baby Shower at the end of it all.

Ah, December, hospital bed booking started to make things real plus the Ante Natal Class provided by the hospital. We had our blinds put in and attended a farewell party, a fancy work Xmas party as well as a ballet - The Nutcracker. Building stopped so we had some rest time and had an adult Christmas and a quiet New Year's eve. Before the year could end I did another pregnancy massage by professionals this time and man oh man it was worth it. My body had started to be really sore now so this massage was a godsend.

And that ladies and gentle folk is my year in review. It was full of experiences and lessons learned. There is much to look forward to this year including welcoming our baby boy.

I am ready for 2023 and have been since it started.