Thursday 27 December 2012

Sleepless in Swansea

I am so lucky to have a baby and toddler who both sleep through the night. There is no better feeling in life than to wake up from seven hours of unbroken sleep.

But it’s not always been like this. When toddler was a baby she used to wake up several times a night (between 0-7 months) and after several weeks of this I felt like death warmed up. When I was sleep deprived I felt dizzy from tiredness, which made the difficult parts of the day seem impossible. Reading/replying to emails was the only academic-type job I could do as any task requiring concentration was a waste of time. It helped to go out for a walk and get some fresh air. I can empathise with InBabyAttachMode and I too turned to sleep training guides which offered some help.

Friday 21 December 2012

In the (mother)hood



Love this! It is sooo me at the moment...

Let go and call it a day: Review of 2012

As 2012 draws to a close, I am left wearily pondering all the pressing tasks I needed to finish this year.

In April I went on maternity leave and I left with a list of a few academic tasks I needed to do during my time ‘off’. Not a long list – just a few tasks that would keep my brain from disintegrating under the weight of nappies and vomit – but suffice it to say that most of these jobs have not been completed. Like a complete nubey mum, I utterly underestimated the exhaustion and lack of free time (and space) that comes with having two children under 2.

Other mamas will understand my lack of irony when I admit that my greatest academic achievement this year has been managing to grab an hour or two away to do some reading. And with only two weeks left, and a toddler who is off nursery with conjunctivitis, I am ready to let go and call it a day for this year.

It’s nearly Christmas! Let’s celebrate!


But then I stumble across Tanya Golash-Boza’s account of her prolific writing of 2012 and my festive indulgences leave a bad taste. Not to diminish the fact that I have given birth to a baby boy, but have I really been so unproductive this year?

I’ll fast-forward over the disappointments to remember the good things (it is Christmas after all): one book chapter published, two journal articles in press and another in an embryonic stage. But nothing tops this: I managed to present at the BSA conference, whilst being 200 miles from home and 8 ½ months pregnant. I am sure that the rest of the delegates were as relieved as I was that baby didn’t arrive early.

Merry Christmas everyone! Here’s to rest, relaxation and family cuddles