ME BEFORE YOU:

“No knotted hair, no Mr. Bear, or boogie scares
No birthday parties, or packets of smarties
No dirty diapers, or countless wet wipers, or throwing tantrums at pick n pay hyper
No runny noses, or handpicked roses, or ring-a-rosies
No sleeping-in, or just napping, or endless packing
No make it snappy, or stinky nappy, or feeling crappy
No bedtime cuddles, or blowing bubbles or potty troubles
No wet little kisses, or birthday wishes, or overflowing dishes
No showering in peace, or having clothes without a crease
No play dates, or making me wait, or watching that cartoon that I hate
No late tv, or taking it easy, or feeling a little wheezy
No calling me mom, or singing your favourite song
No drinking my champagne, or having to explain
No peaceful bathroom breaks, or frequent night time wakes, or little tummy aches
No messy mom hair, or walking around without a care, or having to bed share
No eating chicken strips, or carrying you on my hips or cleaning up your chips
No piles of laundry, or watching Barney or sitting calmly
No mama hugs, or killing bugs or messy rugs
No, I can’t live without you, and you without me
Me before you, oh it never can be
So, hold me now and forever more
You are my baby, I LOVE you to my CORE”

ME BEFORE KIDS:
I can’t remember who or what I was before I had kids, ALL I know is that I was re-born when I became a mother, I was born to be a mother, but sometimes we forget ourselves along the way. I recently started thinking that I need to start doing me, looking out for me too, BUT who am I if not a mother? I feel like I have lost myself along the way. I think I will start off my introducing myself to you with 33 facts you didn’t know about me, yes 33 because I am 33:

1) I am a book enthusiast, when I say enthusiast I mean book crazy, I probably read close to 500+ books a year, I have lost track counting, obviously when I became a mother for the second time this number drastically decreased. I love Erotica novels… Shhhhh they are so juicy!
2) I am an avid baker, I love baking, or at least I used to, I always make all our family cakes including every single birthday cake for my daughter. It’s a tradition. I always wanted to me a patisserie, maybe I can still realise this dream?
3) I studied Marketing, I love business and marketing. Was my favourite subject in school.
4) I was born In Cape Town, when I was 8 years old we moved to JHB and stayed there for 24 years, we moved back to CPT in 2016.
5) Infertility: I struggled to fall pregnant for 2 years, eventually after moving to CPT seeing a new gynae changing my diet and infertility meds I fell pregnant in June 2016. It was a hard-long emotional journey.
6) I love writing, especially poetry, I am not good, but I try, it keeps the creative juices flowing.
7) I absolutely love arts and crafts and DIY projects and PARTY planning!!!
8) My favourite holiday EVER is Warmbaths, its not the most lavish but its where I relax the most, I love it there, so do Kirsten and my husband.
9) My best friend is a guy, I have known him since I was 13 years old, yes that’s 20 years of Friendship.
10) I LOVE spontaneity, i.e. my husband and I do spur of the moment holiday trip like on a Friday night we will just pack our stuff and the kid’s things and go wherever the road takes us.
11) I absolutely love trying new things, I don’t like going to the same place twice or eating the same thing over and over, I like new tastes, foods, venues, ideas etc.
12) Creative, I absolutely love doing ANYTHING creative, this is what drives my soul.
13) I met my husband when I was 18 years old, yes that’s 15 years that we are together now.
14) I absolutely HATE window shopping, can’t deal with it, I want to go to the shops to shop not stare at things.
15) I don’t really like red meat, I will eat it, but I prefer chicken and fish. Unfortunately, I can’t see myself as a vegetarian, but I LOVE vegetarian food A LOT!!!! My favourite food is Indian!
16) I want to go to Spain one day, I just love everything Spanish. Ola!
17) I strive to be super-mom, but I am not. I just want to be the best for my kids in every way possible. Sometimes it gets too much, and I realise I am flawed and I can’t always be perfect.
18) I Love talking, no one would think so if they first meet me though!
19) I have a serious TV star crush on Klaus from the “Original’s” series. Shhhhh don’t tell anyone.
20) I absolutely love popcorn and chocolate, even put together ohhh heaven.
21) My pet HATE is people who don’t have common manners like just simply greeting, come on – its like the first thing you are taught.
22) I look 10000000% like my father, he is my hero, my rock and I measure everyone against him.
23) I love spending my money on make-up, probably too much of it. I have a real love for all things make-up related!
24) I had very bad acne as a teenager – hence my love of make-up!
25) I have 1 sister and 1 brother.
26) My absolute favourite thing in the world is ice cream, and I want to own a Milky Lane franchise.
27) I love dolphins, so does my daughter and one day I would like to take her to swim with them, have tried before but it didn’t go to plan.
28) I am extremely SARCASTIC, omg its bad guys.
29) I get cross too quickly. Yep. Not good at all!
30) I am not a lover of fashion, clothes, shoes etc, mostly because I look crappy in most clothes, yes, I have a weight issue, but HANDBAGS oh my word, its my thing!
31) I love Horror movies! Eeek yep crazy right?
32) I am a very straight forward person, sometimes too straightforward.
33) I really can’t do nature, I’m ashamed to say but I hate spiders, snakes, mice any insects etc, they scare the CRAP out of me!

Writing down these few things about myself helps me see the true me, the me before Kids, my identity has been lost, but I will tell you one thing, if being a mom is all I will ever be I’m the happiest woman alive!