WELCOME to the world Paddy!
Georgie and I met in our first year of university back when our biggest concerns were deciding what to wear to The Grand and making sure our assignments were handed in on time. Fifteen years on and life looks a little different navigating the beautiful, chaotic world of motherhood.
Since those university days, Georgie has become an inspiring English teacher making her the perfect person to launch The Candid Diaries. We spent the afternoon in her light-filled apartment overlooking Shellharbour Marina (just south of Wollongong) chasing the golden light from room to room. Between laughter, quiet moments and happy tears the session became so much more than a motherhood session.
I am beyond proud of G for stepping out of her comfort zone and allowing herself to be seen so honestly at just 7 weeks PP. Here is a little insight in what she has to say about the realities and joys of motherhood. Congratulations again Georgie and Brendan - Paddy is simply divine! But so are you both xx
What surprised you most about the moment you first held Paddy? What surprised me the most was how much I didn’t care about anything else going on because he was safe in my arms. I was losing a lot of blood, so several doctors and nurses came in and were poking around down there and putting things in my arms. I was so calm because I had him that I didn’t care that so many people were looking at my vagina.
Has becoming a mum changed how you view your own mother? Yes. Definitely. I used to think she worried too much but now I understand that the worry is biological. It’s part of becoming a mother or ‘matrescence’ where we are neurologically rewired to be more alert for threats. I also see her strength. She had four kids and no matter the chaos or tension, she always made us feel like everything was going to be ok. I hope I can be like that for Paddy.
What's something you want to remember about this version of yourself, right now, in the thick of it? I want to remember how much I learned in this stage. The newborn stage was a steep learning curve but then once that’s over there’s another thing to learn. I want to remember how quickly I adapted to each new challenge.
What have you learned about yourself since Paddy has been earth-side? I’ve learned that I do have the capacity for patience. I have always seen myself as an impatient person (and have been told that by parents and partners). This time has taught me that mess happens, perfection is too stressful and as long as Paddy is ok, nothing else matters. I’ve also learned that I’m not as selfish as I thought I was.
What's something nobody warned you about that you wish they had? Nobody warned me about the sleep deprivation. That was the biggest shock.
What is a tiny moment from this week that felt like enough? A tiny win this week was Paddy having a nap longer than half an hour. I also got to do some laps at the local pool.