From vomiting over the toilet bowl (because the first trimester is the ghetto) to dancing the night away with my girls, 2023 has been a great year. It’s been a year packed with firsts, fun and intentional friendships. So here is a little snippet of how my year has been.
Second tattoo
For someone who took years to decide to get her first tattoo, it took me three months to get my second one. I’ve always wanted a family tattoo and after hearing my baby’s heartbeat for the first time in January, I knew it was time. That pain though! (1000 wuehs) In hindsight, it was preparing me for what to come later in the third quarter.
Hiking the seven Ngong hills in March was actually me just proving to myself that I can do whatever I put my mind to. Pregnant or not! It taught me the importance of pacing myself. Life is a marathon and you can run through it but best believe you’ll burn out before you are halfway there. So, take your time in every season to learn and to enjoy it because time is fleeting.
If there is a community that knows how to go hard in all aspects is the fit tribe. And this year we said ‘potluck Saturdays’ and they said ‘say less my G’. From Aaliya to samaki ya njugu, my fit fam really outdid themselves with different cuisines. And with this we got to visit different homes each Saturday and to bond and have fun together.
Bash not a shower.
I didn’t want a baby shower for the formality it has. Yes I’m pregnant and obviously my life is gonna change. I don’t need a reminder to that fact. So why not have one last party to end a season of sherehes? And a party we had. I ate a lot, I still dream of that nyama Choma on some nights.
One thing I love about this year is that the village I’ve been surrounding myself with came through for me. I’ve never felt loved more than I’ve been loved this year. My pregnancy was a breeze thanks to the fact that I didn’t isolate myself. I love that for me.
Ooh baby!
I’ve read about it, been told tales of how it’ll go and even watched YouTube videos. But I’m here to tell you no one can’t paint the picture of labour pains precisely.
With all the working out and mental preparations I thought I could handle it. Yooo!!! 1000 wuehs are nothing compared to what I felt between 8pm to 10.40pm on August 9th. Even writing this has given me the chills.
You see the pain of breaking a bone? Add 1000 times that. I almost died if it wasn’t for the mental strength I gained from working out throughout my pregnancy.
A first
Do you want to know who went on a vacation three months postpartum? You guessed right. I did.
The moment they said that there will be a beach bootcamp in Diani I knew that I needed the beach, bootcamp will just be the excuse.
3000ml of breastmilk frozen, I was ready to take a break yaani kupigia mwili pole. It was going to be hard leaving the baby but I reminded myself that ‘a happy mum will bring up a happy baby’. I’m here to encourage that mum who is scared to give themselves a break, do it. Your child will be fine and you will not be less of a mum. Okay let’s get back to the beach.
Seated by the beach alone one morning, listening to the waves while watching the sunrise, I took a deep breathe and released it to the universe. All the fear, doubts, my troubles were left there.
My biggest takeaway of 2023 is ‘do it scared, do it alone, do it anyway!
Adios 2023!!
