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My boy is turning two, I can’t believe it!

Today I’m sharing 10 of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since having my son, and how we could all implement them in our own lives.

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Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that my baby boy is turning two!

Motherhood is moving so fast and honestly, all those crazy cliches about time flying are entirely true, especially as a mum watching her baby transform into a toddler.

This is like a little time capsule for me, and an opportunity to reflect - a chance to listen and read back and hear the growth and the change that's happened to us and for us, as well as an invitation to pause and share some of the behind the scenes of our lives.

Jacob has taught me so much about life and business during his two short years. By simply existing, he’s transformed who I see myself as and how I want to show up. So I wanted to look into 10 of the lessons he’s taught me, before turning two.

Even if you aren’t a mother, I promise this one will hold nuggets of wisdom for you to glean from my brown-eyed curly-haired little boy.

Lesson 1

This comes at the beginning of every single day, Jacob wakes up so slowly, and he always does it with a smile. Every single morning, I get to wake him up and he is so happy to see me every single day.

He's an early bird so you can bet that as soon as my alarm goes off at 5.30 AM, he's ready to start the day, we’re in sync that way. I love it.

He might wake up early, but he's not a fan of getting up straight away. To be honest, he loves to wake up slowly, and it gives him this chance to adjust before starting his day. Honestly, it’s helped me to slow down in the morning and to stay in bed an extra few minutes longer to visualise how I want the day to go, sometimes I’ll even say a gratitude list in my head or listen to the sound of the rain.

What would waking up slowly look like for you? How can you set yourself up to wake up a little slower?

Maybe try putting your journal next to your bed so the first thing to reach for in the morning isn't your phone, but a blank page where you can capture the dreams you had or set your intentions for the day. Maybe you could go to bed earlier and set yourself a nourishing evening routine.

Let's claim that time for yourself each day just like Jacob does.

lesson 2

Jacob has taught me to never stop being curious.

I love how Jacob sees the world, watching him experience new things is amazing and so refreshing. I love seeing his sense of wonder and I have to laugh too because he loves bugs and flies and spiders and dirt. On the flip side, he also loves birds and watching and waving to them on my mum’s bird feeder.

It reminds me again to slow down and look at how incredible the world is. As a family, we live a very simple life, we don't go to new places every weekend. Jacob is happiest on a walk or playing in the park or the garden with a ball. Even that is amazing to experience through his eyes.

There's so much joy found in these little things that we stop being curious about as we become an adult. Let’s try to be more curious!

lesson 3

Lesson number 3 is don't give up. One of the craziest things about the difference a year or two years makes is the fact that your child goes from this crawling, drooling, cute little blob into a chatterbox toddler who understands every single word you say and can run circles around you.

Watching him learn how to walk was so inspiring to me. Imagine if, after the first few tries, he just gave up and said, “You know what, I guess I'm not meant to walk on my own two feet”. Seeing his grit and determination and the way he laughed when he fell down, just goes to show how resilient they are.

It reminded me that as adults, we often give up way too early, we get impatient, we take fewer risks, and we sure as heck don't smile when we fall down. The thing with Jacob is, he goes from one extreme to another, he went straight from walking to running. When we're out on a walk, he jogs and he does not stop. It's so incredible. That reminds me of the power of momentum and confidence because once he got the hang of it, he was away, and he knew he could move faster. I can tell you, that's exactly how it can be with business and with life. The more that we learn, the more confidence we gain, and the more momentum we get to keep propelling us forward. I want that same experience for you and for you to acknowledge it when it's happening.

lesson 4

Lesson number four- everyone needs quiet time to recharge.

Jacob lights up when he's around people he loves and whilst he definitely has an outgoing personality he also craves quiet time, whether it's reading books to his animals or a cuddle on the sofa with me. I admire this about him and it's taught me to savour and carve out space for time for myself and time to just be still.

Last year especially, I felt like I was either fully in business mode or multi-mode. Since we're all in the same place all the time at home, having true alone time is just really rare. Honestly, I can't even really remember the last time I had a night just to myself, and I'm not complaining I would not change it for the world but he reminds me of the importance of taking time to recharge and that not every minute has to be go, go, go.

Alone time doesn't just happen organically, so take this as your permission to ask for it and to seek it out for yourself. This could look like going for a walk or stepping into your bedroom and closing the door behind you or on your own to reflect. Maybe you can relate to this but as an introvert, it's sometimes necessary to explain that quiet and solitude are how you recharge.

Take a page from Jacobs's book and politely but clearly share when you're needing a little time to recharge.

lesson 5

Lesson number five - Moving your body is a gift.

If you've witnessed the wonder that is Jacob dancing, that boy has moves. He is the most flexible little thing I have ever met. Every day, he has me dancing and not caring what the heck I look like.

I can safely say, I move my body every day, it's just not in the way I ever expected. It’s also made me extra aware of the way I speak about movement and the way I move and talk about my body, knowing that he's paying attention and soaking it all in. It’s the best reminder for us and our ability to control that inner and outer dialogue. I love that he is just too young to even think of movement as a way to change himself; instead, he just freely moves with confidence.

Lesson 6

Jacob has taught me that routines are a blessing.

When I was pregnant with Jacob, I had a couple of DMs from people suggesting that I’d maybe struggle to stick to a schedule when I had a newborn. I didn't want to admit it at the time, but it really scared me, I didn't know how it was going to be possible.

Trying to get into a routine as early as we could with Jacob was our saving grace, even though that routine has obviously changed so much since he was firstborn. Jacob is definitely like me in terms of loving a routine, he craves order.

Now, I know from experience that finding and sticking to a routine isn't as simple as making the choice and letting everything else fit into place. If routines are hard for you, then try this as you go through your day. Make a mental note of the processes that seem frantic and chaotic and list out options for managing that.

Lesson 7

Lesson number seven, you are capable of learning new things.

It's so exciting to watch Jacob learn new things and celebrate every time he learns something new.

So what about you? What new thing? Are you ready to learn? How can you channel the energy of a toddler who just learned to run and take your first new confidence steps? Get that journal back open, and write down the first thing that comes to mind. Whatever it is, please make a little promise to yourself that you will take a step into something new for you that you will prioritise it and make it a focus this year.

Lesson 8

Lesson number eight is that stillness is an active choice, Jacob has definitely taught me this.

Have you ever watched a little kid full of energy that is literally bursting out of them? It's just an uncontainable feeling. As adults, we get those bursts too but they usually show up in the form of workaholism or the things that we get obsessed with, like DIY home projects. The truth is that Jacob reminds me of that.

While stillness can sometimes be even harder than taking action, it's really necessary for us to regroup, to pause to take it all in and to recenter.

That's why I'm always saying, rest is productive and this past year for me held a lot of pausing for good reason. At first, I was shocked at how uncomfortable it was for me to hit the brakes. It helps when I feel that anxiousness or I'm feeling antsy to get moving again, to remember how helpful it is for Jacob when we just pause, take a few deep breaths, have some quiet time, gather ourselves, and then get back at it.

Rest sometimes feels unnatural and pausing takes a lot of restraint. It's very important to know that stillness is in fact, a choice and an active one. It's not being complacent but it's a way for us to refocus, recenter and Jacob reminds me of that every day.

Lesson 9

Lesson number nine, we are always growing.

One thing I'm in awe of but I've never really paused to ponder until I became a mum was that we are constantly growing, changing, evolving and learning.

As a mother, we get to watch a child grow and transform and seeing the difference even a month makes in their life helps remind me that we're still growing even when there isn't visible evidence of it. I look at time in an entirely new way now and see how we as adults are evolving, being stretched, challenged, and curious about how all of that adds up to us becoming this new version of ourselves at every stage of our lives.

Lesson 10

The final lesson is that your definition of success will change, and it should.

Jacob undeniably changed the way that I look at success and the ruler I measure my life up to. Not only did he enter it and immediately softened me, the journey to get to him taught me so many powerful lessons that still to this day have me savouring the fact that I get to actually hold him in my arms.

Now, success looks like being the kind of mum that I used to dream of being. It's not easy, but it's been the most transformative experience for me. I’m proud that I get to work from home and that my son gets to spend his days with me and his grandparents. That was once on my vision board.

For 2023 and beyond, success to me looks like waking up every day and being present with Jacob in the morning. I know I'm being successful when I feel energised, both as a business owner and as a mum. I know I'm being successful when I prioritise my health. I know I've been successful when I don't miss a single chance to sing Jacob to sleep.

We are home birds at heart and I feel so lucky and grateful that I have spent every single day with my handsome boy, watching him learn and grow and transform.

a love letter to Jacob

With that, I say happy birthday, Jacob!

I am so proud to be your mummy, I love your spirit, and I love your mischievous laugh. I love your passion for hoovering and your fascination with animals and the way that you are obsessed with Lola. I love your love for books and I love that you don't want me to let you go when I put you to bed. I love when you dance to everything. I love the way you wiggle. I love your messy bedhead, your love for cleanliness, your desire for routine, and the way you love to draw on the chalkboard. I love looking at our lives, seeing the evidence of you in every corner, from my pencil case, on the floor of my office, to your toys, to your tiny little shoes, to the remnants of your cheese leftover on the sofa.

When questioning decisions that I make around you, who I hope you will become and the world I hope you get to exist in, I question myself too. You challenge me, you make me ponder. You allow me to seek better answers. You encouraged me and your love for me reminds me that at the end of the day, we're always going to be okay as long as we have each other and our health. The rest we can figure out together.

When I look at you I see the love and it's reflected back at me. You are my greatest joy. You are my why. I am so grateful to be celebrating another year as your mummy. Happy Birthday gorgeous boy, I love you more than anything in the entire world.

Thank you for allowing me to celebrate Jacob's birthday with you, bosses.