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A Birthday Surprise

I recently celebrated my 39th birthday, my first birthday as a mom. It felt really different this year – good different.

Usually, I am so excited about my nearing birthday that I start counting the days from the 1st of June. Silly right? I plan ways to celebrate the day with friends and family, I think about the gifts I would love to receive, and the bubbling of excitement just grows inside my belly with each passing day. I would thrive on the attention I got on my birthday. It was a day all about ME and celebrating ME with all the delightful Facebook birthday posts and the non-stop pinging of my phone reminding me that more well-wishes await. L O L!

This year though, that fact that my birthday was days away kept slipping my mind. I was constantly caught off guard by the realisation that we were already in the month of June. My mind was focussed on Kresten’s turning 10 months old, his next visit to the baby clinic, the ‘date afternoon’ that my hubby and I arranging, it was on writing blogs and creating a new website, it was on celebrating Father’s Day with Anton and my dad.

You see my life and my existence was no longer about me. Now I know for most this could sound alarming, but for me it brought lightness, a joy…. a fullness and a freedom that I did not expect. Yet I marvelled in it.

My birthday was here and my darling husband was so excited that he was up before the sun. During the early hours of the morning every time I would stir in my sleep, I would hear his voice “Happy Birthday Honey”. To which I would reply “No, I am not waking up yet”. The memory of it makes me giggle. We continued this sing song about THREE TIMES before I finally gave in and accepted my good morning kiss. He offered to make me coffee and quickly hopped out of bed only to return serving up a steaming cuppa, along with my FAVOURITE perfume. WOOHOO! With our little boy tucked in with us, we enjoyed some sweet birthday morning snuggles. It was just the best.

So it seems my birthday surprise this year was not only wrapped up in the sweet scent of Bvlgari Omnia Coral. It was years of wishing and of prayers and dreams – all wonderfully realised.

It was understanding contentment like never before.

It was the revelation of my greatest treasure, my husband and my baby boy.

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My revelation

Greetings from a wet and wintery Cape Town, South Africa.

I thought I would take a moment and tell you a bit about myself and how Origin Mommy came to be.  I am a 38 (almost 39) year old first-time mommy to a fearfully and wonderfully made 9-monthold boy (who is currently going through sleep regression and teething … so your sympathies are welcome).

I spent about 17 years prior to joining the mommy-tribe in a job/career that was highly stressful and demanding. The last 7 years of that time I was fortunate enough to be an equity partner in my own company and, although I was able to find some joy and purpose in what I did, for the most part it was still a constant struggle to find harmony, unity and a shared vision.  After years of prayer, God used what a friend intuitively referred to at the time as a sledgehammer to get me out of that space.  Soon thereafter, I saw the indicator on a pregnancy test show positive.

I read this quote on becoming a mommy: “I was his beginning, and he was my beginning too” (paraphrased).

My husband and I decided that I would take a sabbatical from the world of business – as I needed time to find a new passion. Also privilege of being able to stay home with my child during his developmental years was what I had always dreamed about. However, the unclear future was scary.  I knew I could enjoy this season of mommy-hood, but that there would come a time when I would need to get back to work. I had no idea what my future career would look like, or if I would have the flexibility to still be the kind of mom that I wanted to me while pursuing it.   If you know me, you know that I am a future-focussed planner and so this question about what awaited me one day was one that weighed heavily.

The Origin of creation

I continued to pray that God would show me what He would have me do next. I admit that my prayers were at times more out of fear than faith.  Then one day, God took me to Genesis chapter one:  The beginning. Let me just say that this does not happen often, but the moments when it does are unforgettable and profound.  In reading that piece of scripture I was reminded that beginnings are without form, void and often dark (or unclear). However the Spirit of God hovers over even the darkest, most void spaces….and even there He speaks. I prayerfully unpacked what it meant to me and my circumstance.

God spoke and there was light;         
there was creation;
there was life;
a gathering;
fruitfulness;
multiplication;
responsibility;
and then there was rest.
This was my revelation.
My heart soaked up a glorious promise!  God was a God of order and He would help me create something, He would give me a purpose (responsibility) and I would find rest.  I would just need to trust the process – step by step.

I am a researcher, a note taker, a plan maker.. Here I was in the midst of my baby prep, with my journal full of my mommy-to-be thoughts.

I love researching various topics. My Google search history is, well, interesting to say the least. I research often – lately it’s anything from pregnancy and birth; new-borns and breastfeeding; weaning and sleep schedules.  I study the information, unpack what it means and how I can apply it to my life and my circumstance. Where I can, I share and encourage others. In doing so I have developed an every deepening well of understanding and respect for all mommies.  Then the idea dropped into my heart.  Start a blog – a creative way of journaling my own experiences, coupled with whatever information I have discovered.

Reflecting on what I believe God dropped into my heart a few weeks prior, I considered a name.  Then it hit me: Origin Mommy. Those two words symbolise so much –  the creator of a home; a fruitful vessel; the gatherer; the bearer of life.  For me, in many ways – it starts with Mommy

Mommy, a creature invited to be a cocreator with the Creator Himself. (Paraphased from Lisa-Jo Baker’s book Suprised by Motherhood)

I trust that God will continue to guide me on how Origin Mommy will grow and what her ultimate responsibility will be.  I am open to wherever this journey may lead. My ultimate desire is that it would somehow evolve into a lucritive business pf sorts – one that allows me the flexibility to still be the mommy that I want to be for my little guy and any other little ones that may follow….. For now, Origin Mommy is about community – encouraging mommies, empowering mommies and enjoying being part of the mommy tribe.