say hello to the elephant

Hi all,

It’s me, the stranger!  It has been a LOOOONNNG time since I have blogged. Not sure I even remember how to use this site, so bear with me…..

A lot has happened in my life over this past year. I’m not even sure where to start!

So…here we go….. I decided after 4 years of cycling and triathlon coaching, 2 years of admin assistance with a pregnancy yoga company, & 12 years of Personal Training, that it was time to take my passion for the body, my fascination with how well it responds to different triggers (mentally and physically) and my love of babies, children, families, friends and the ‘sista-hood’ to another level, and  I have been studying as a Midwife!

A long time ago a friend of mine tried to convince me to study midwifery with her…. I wasn’t ready… But the thought had been simmering under the surface ever since.  A couple of years ago, another dear friend of mine, allowed me to be a part of her son’s birth. It was amazing and a pivotal moment for me… (blog to follow) and the simmering turned into boiling. And I became ‘ready’.

Last year, I thought I’d check out the application process.. and before I knew it, I had applied to QTAC. Next stop, full time student at the University of Qld, based at the Mater Hospital! *girlie squeal!!* *clapping fingers!!* followed midyear by a *shower-scene scream from Pyscho!*

Well… I can confidently say that the first year, was HUGE!  I didn’t find the course content itself too difficult, but, the workload was insane! We (hubby and I) don’t have a lot of financial “freedom”, and with 3 kids to feed, I still had to work 2 part-time jobs, while studying full time. YES, I was averaging 4hrs sleep per night for the year, and Hubby had to pick up the massive parenting slack caused by my crazy commitments – he and I hardly saw each other, let alone, hang as a family 😦  It was a tough year for us.

As for life as a Student Midwife….?  My very first shift felt like I had “gone home”. Like I had found “my heart” again. I spent the year crying with mums, playing with boobies, washing babies, laughing in antenatal workshops, listening to baby’s heart rates racing along, feeling tummies, making new friends, and being a part of the most amazing creation ever – new life – for women and babies. So much love ❤

So,  what’s new for this blog?

Well the exercise posts will probably be a lot less frequent – however, I am still training, so maybe, if you like, I can flick you a copy of my workouts every now and then 😉

What I WILL start posting more of, are reflections of things I see while ‘hanging’ with these wonderful mums. Elephants that come into our rooms. Emotions that spill from our eyes. Tension that prickles out of our pores, and anything else I feel I need to share, purge, or debrief over. I will also share the Elephants that turn up in my room, while I am trying to juggle a life as a full time mum, full time wife, full time student, and two part time job crazy woman. WTF was I thinking!!!

Anyway, I hope you have all been super amazing and living your life, full and real.

Talk soon

Cherlisa xx