When I discovered I was going to be a mother, I sat and wondered about lots of things. Practical things like what things do we need to buy? What should we name you? HOW WILL I GET YOU OUT?!
But more than just the practical things. What would you be like? What kind of person would you be? Who would you look like?
What can I teach you?
But I never expected for it to work the other way around. What would I be like?
What do you teach me?
Before I ever met you, there was so much I didn't know, things I didn't know existed. Like the pure strength of the love I have for both of you. Imagine how it's possible that you can love someone before you even meet them? You can sense and feel their life begin, and with it this amazing bond begins, with someone you've never even set eyes on. And then you both arrived bringing this amazing, new type of love, so strong it almost scares you in case someone takes it away. And when you both arrived, I evolved into something else.
Someone else.
Someone, who before they ever met you, never knew they could actually survive on so little sleep. Night after night, sitting up, cuddling you, rocking you back to sleep. Getting up again, battling away imaginary monsters from your curtains, soothing pains in tummies, sore gums..... kissing away the things that wake you from your sleep. But I did.
Someone, who before they ever met you, used to think I'd never be able to do lots of things. I could never manage to get out of the house with one baby in tow... two babies in tow. I could never feed a baby in one hand and make a hasty sandwich for myself with the other. I could never keep one baby entertained, whilst soothing the other off to sleep for a much needed nap. And the ultimate goal, I could never achieve the all time achievement - dual naps. A thing of sheer beauty! But I did.
Someone, who before they ever met you, never really knew too well the pure sense of pride. The feeling may have come now and then at different points in time, if I achieved certain things in life; when I got my first paycheck.. when I took a great photograph. When I married your Dad. And eventually you both arrived. We fought hard to get you, now you're both here, all I need to do is think of you. I just think of you, and feel overwhelming feelings of pride, as if my heart could burst with it. When it happens, I turn to whoever happens to be near me, and tell them of you. Something you did, something you said. A look you gave, an example of your amazing little personalities. I tell the stories of you, and feel immense pride. I just think of you, and it's there. I never knew I could do anything so amazing to feel all this pride. But I did.
Someone, who before I ever met you, never really knew fear. Fear of all the things I immediately knew I had to protect you from, and of all the things I know I'll never be able to shield you from. The hurts and disappointments that are bound to eventually find you. The absolute fear at the thought of you not being my babies anymore and having to send you out into the big scary world - it seems a world away from us at the moment but I'm learning at a rapid pace just how quick this journey is going to fly past. I can still call you my babies now - always - but one day you'll be brave enough to do things without having to hold my hand. I just hope I can teach you to be strong enough and wise enough for each step of the way. I never knew fear could be this strong at the sheer thought of something. It makes me feel stronger, to know I will do whatever it may take to protect you from as much as I can. I never thought I could take that fear and use it to strengthen my love for you. But I did.
Someone, who before I ever met you, never really knew patience. Ok, honestly, I'm not going to be winning any awards for my levels of patience any time soon. But you have both taught me how to be more patient than I ever knew I could be. You keep us up all night, night after night. You throw tantrums for the most random, ridiculous reasons. You make us try and figure new things out every single day. You change the rules constantly and consistently, lulling us into a false sense of security feeling like we finally might know what the hell we're doing, before changing things all over again. You make us watch the same film a million times, or listen to the same song on repeat every hour and somehow we manage to keep our sanity. You bring us right to the edge of that sanity, and yet somehow, at the end of it all, you make us love you even more. I never knew I could display such levels of patience. But I do.
Someone, who before I ever met you, never really knew what hard work was. Hard in the physical sense sometimes, but absolutely hard in the mental sense of the word. Holding it all together, keeping everything going. Working together as a team, learning new things every day and learning new ways to figure things out every single day. I never knew I could work this hard without ever having a day or even an hour off duty. And what's more, I never knew I could work this hard without ever wanting a day off from it, never wanting a day away from you. But now I do.
All these things you have taught me about myself, all these things I didn't know I already knew.
Before I ever met you, I never knew I could be this person, so proud of you both, I will carry you always, learn from you always, love you 'more than all the twinkly stars'.... always.
Who will I be, who have I become?
A Mama.
