I always knew I'd have children. From a young age I loved babies. Growing up I'd look after children, first at youth groups then as soon as I was old enough I started babysitting.
I learnt to take nothing for granted in life. As we go through life we are dealt challenges along the way which make us realise nothing in life comes easily and that some things we want we may never be able to achieve. This lesson was learnt by myself as a result of trying to have a family.
My love of children led me down the career path of teaching. Having gained a degree in Psychology and then a Masters, I started working with children with special needs. Teacher training followed and I then qualified as an Early Years teacher, specialising in special education needs. I did think about pursuing a career as an Educational Psychologist, I even got an interview to study to become one, but as it was a three year course and I had just got married, having a family was more of a priority to me so I decided against this.
I went into teaching as it is very important to me that children have the best start to their education as possible. That they enjoy going to school and are confident and happy in their surroundings. I have a lot of love to give and want the children to feel they can approach me for comfort and support should they want to or feel the need. The same reigns true for my role as a mummy. I want my children to be able to talk to me, come to me for reassurance and advice, feel loved.
It took us six months to fall pregnant with my eldest, which at the time seemed like an eternity. She came into the world and life changed forever in the best way imaginable. Being a mummy was what I was meant to do. To be responsible for this little person, to look after and teach her right from wrong. Bring her up to be the best person she can be. So I can be proud to say I'm her mummy.
However much she filled our lives with happiness, constant laughter and fun times, we knew the unit wasn't quite yet complete. Nothing in life can be planned, but of course pre children we'd discussed having two children of our own. Amazingly, five and a half years after having our eldest we were blessed with twins, a girl and a boy. A hellish five years were endured before they arrived, but their arrival completed our family.
Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful for having the best job in the world. I look at my children and have to pinch myself. Materialistic things don't bother me. I was brought up to be grateful for what I had and not look at what others have which perhaps I don't. This ethos will remain with me and be passed onto my children once they are old enough to understand this.
Every day is different, brings with it new challenges, as well as happy memories and laughter. Each child is very different, with their own little personalities. It's funny to see bits of myself and my husband in each of them.
Having struggled to complete my family I know only too well how incredibly fortunate we are to have had our dreams come true. The heartache and struggle we endured was totally worth it and only makes us more grateful for what we have.
It's easy to get caught up in mundane daily chores and to complain at the lack of sleep, which is horrendous when you have no help during the day and start wishing it were seven in the evening already when it's only nine in the morning. To ply yourself with caffeine and feel yourself becoming impatient with the children's moaning or constant questions. But stop, take a minute, think about how you'd feel if you had none of that, were unable to have any of that.
Having been through what I went through to complete my family I know only too well that there are many ladies who are not so fortunate and sadly never will be able to have that. Who'd give anything to feel that harassment, dare I call it that. Who try so hard to fulfil their dreams of becoming a mummy but sometimes to no avail.
That is why I'm shouting from the rooftops that being a mummy is definitely the best job in the world.
(Happy mother's day!)