Timeless

3 months… 12 weeks… 84 days… 288 hours… 17280 minutes… 1036800 seconds… However this precious time spent with you is to be counted, I choose to see it as eternal and forever imprinted in our hearts… 👣❤️

Here’s to sleepless nights and poonami explosions, milky voms and ‘stinky ear’ cuddles, cherished memories and forgotten dishes, endless rocking and dribbly kisses, tantrums, tears and toothless grins and a whole bunch of love, weirdness and belly laughter in between 💝

I’d do it all again for you in a heartbeat baby Kole 💙

Love always xx

Good Times Hard Times

Nobody wants a fair weathered friend who only shows up when your life is flowing with ease and grace.

We can’t all ride the limo of success and happiness all of the time, but if you have a handful of loyal souls who walk beside you through thick or thin, then consider yourself blessed, for those are the truest of connections worth treasuring.

Be grateful for those willing to ride with you aboard that rickety broken down bus; even when it’s hitting all the pot holes, coming up against roadblock after roadblock and struggling to get over the hill.

Today, express your love and gratitude for the people in your life who remind you that you’re not alone.

Who rides with you through the good times and the bad..?

Love always,

Hayley xx

The Smallest Things…

There’s no doubt that parenting can be lonely business and often the days can seem long and repetitive. But the dichotomy is that I also never want these days to end… Why? Because there is SO much magic in the seemingly mundane, enough to turn even the longest and loneliest of days into my greatest source of joy.

For me, it’s in my morning conversations with Kole; it’s gazing into his eyes and seeing the future in them; it’s studying his ever changing expressions and realising an hour has passed by; it’s feeling his tiny breaths kissing my skin; it’s noticing his crying soften and his tense body relax the moment I hold him close to my heart… If it wasn’t for these moments of magic in our day, parenting would undoubtedly turn us all insane.

But thankfully, ‘sometimes the smallest moments take up the most room in your heart.’ Today, look for the magic. It’s there.

What are the small moments that take up the most room in your heart?

Love always,

Hayley xx

The Rainbow After The Rain

Each day I receive a quote to my phone which appears in the form of a notification. On my birthing day, mid labour, this is the quote I received. It couldn’t have been more true.

At this stage I had endured a lot of rain and had been birthing for over 24hours. A pinched nerve in my lower back meant that my labour was not ‘flowing’ as I’d imagined. Determined to avoid any drugs or invasive pain relief that would pass to our baby’s system, I allowed the rain to pour down on me – hard and heavy.

I would say that the back labour and water injections used to alleviate the discomfort were far more distressing than any other part of the birthing process, which i’d always held as beautiful and powerful and still believe this to be true.

The pinched nerve demanded all of my attention and focus, and at times I questioned my ability to birth my baby boy naturally, if at all. But my rainbow came. And I love him with every ounce of my being 💙

In life, sometimes we wish to give up. We don’t see that in the midst of our pain and despair, there is a beautiful rainbow forming.

Today, I ask that you TRUST. No matter what your circumstances or how long you’ve ‘put up with the rain’ – have faith that the rainbow is coming. Trust that it is bright, beautiful, colourful and magical. And yes my dear, that rainbow is just for you. You are SO worthy 🌈

So this little bundle of love is one week old today 💙🌈

Wow, what a journey Motherhood is.

My life now consist of sleeping in three hour increments or less; poopy bums and milky burps are the main flavour of the day, and my breasts have been converted into a 24hour milk restaurant 🥛

BUT, holding you close to our hearts, hearing your little piglet snorts and seeing your dreamy smile as you sleep makes every ounce of tiredness worth it’s weight in gold.

We love you Kole Roy 💙🌈 Happy one week earthside beautiful boy,

Love always,

Mummy & Daddyxx

Emerging Butterflies 🦋

Today, I am quite the caterpillar – slow moving, yet steady, and grateful for the transformation my body is undergoing as it nurtures new life within.

As I reach the end of my pregnancy walking has become a waddle; turning over in bed an Olympic event; and peeing, as regular and frequent as breathing.

I now understand why heavily pregnant women reach a point in late pregnancy when they say; ‘I’m ready.’

Despite feeling ready, I’m savouring these precious last moments of pregnancy, for part of me will grieve the absence of my big round belly; the swish of little hands and feet moving from within… I’d also be lying if I pretended part of me won’t miss my care-free life pre-parenting.

But so much more of me now anticipates the emergence of the beautiful butterfly; the birth of new life, the magical transition from maiden to Mother. Yes – change can be challenging and scary, but I have complete faith in the joyful adventure these colourful new wings will bring 🦋

Love always,

Hayley xx

Better, Not Bitter

Life was never meant to be easy… Joyful? Fulfilling? Abundant? Yes. But easy? No.

Life is meant to challenge us; to encourage us to grow and to evolve.

Those testing times which threaten to make us bitter are, in fact, designed to make us BETTER.

How do you respond to life’s difficulties? Do you choose to be a victim of circumstances, finger pointing and blaming others for your misfortune? Or do you choose to welcome life’s challenges as an opportunity to own your shit and RISE UP? To choose another way?

Today, welcome challenge with an open heart. Be grateful for the chance to be BETTER, not bitter.

Love always,

Hayley xx

What are you focusing on?

Sometimes we can’t see the solution because we’re staring too hard at the problem.

Napoleon Hill was right when he said: ‘Energy flows where attention goes.’

So what are you focused on?

Notice if you’re focusing on what you DON’T want instead of what you DO want.

Maybe you’re complaining about lack of, instead of counting your blessings? Or could you be trying to control people or situations with how you think they SHOULD be, instead of accepting how they really are?

It’s hard to admit that sometimes WE are the ones closing all the doors and building walls in our way…but sometimes we do this by default without even realising.

Today, open the blinds and gaze out of the window. Allow the light to flow in.

It takes a simple shift in perspective to appreciate all that you see. There is ALWAYS another way.

Love always,

Hayley xx

Roses and Thorns

Life is full of duality; love – hate; light – dark, peace – war; up – down; good – evil; life – death…

Life is a bed of roses when everything is going smoothly and all we feel is love, peace, harmony and joy. But when life’s contrasts show up, which inevitably they do, they are often met with some resistance.

But the ‘thorns’ of life form a necessary part of our existence. Without them, how would we know and come to appreciate their opposite?

For example, how can we be fully alive without the knowledge that one day we will meet death? How can we feel warmth without having first experienced cold? How can we know the fullness of true love if we’ve yet to meet with heartache and pain?

Instead of viewing life’s contrasts as something ‘bad’ to be avoided, we can begin to appreciate the learning and growth we gain from such moments.

We needn’t LOVE the thorns as such, but we do need to respect them; for every rose in life bares thorns of wisdom🌹

Love always,

Hayley xx

Thank you

I’ll be the first to testify that the more we are grateful for the things we have in life; the more life provides us with things to be grateful for.

So why is gratitude the first thing we let slide the moment the shit hits the fan?

A good friend of mine recently said; “It’s easy to be grateful when all of your ducks are lined up… But if you can look for the good and stay grateful when life is a struggle, THAT’s when the real magic happens.” Wise words 🙏🏻

Today, see the beauty in all situations. Even the ones that are there to test you. Because ultimately, those are the experiences that urge you to grow, to evolve and to expand your horizons.

And that is why I’m choosing to see the beauty in my sadness today…

On this day 13 years ago heaven needed another angel, and decided you were the one Dad..

In your memory, I’d like to reflect on the gifts you blessed me with in hope that I can offer my baby the same unconditional love you bestowed upon me as a little girl.

💫 Bear hugs. I was never too old or too grumpy to receive one of your warm bear hugs. And even if I was, and tried to side step your cuddles – you’d stretch out your arm and reel me in with an anaconda type grip that said: “You’re receiving my love, grumpy or not, now take it!” …I will never deny my son a hug… (Even if he’s being a little sh*t 😝)

💫 Your weirdness. Your humour was unique, unapologetic and had us all in fits of belly laughter! I will teach my son to embrace his weirdness and to never apologise for who he is!

💫 Protection. Your nature was gentle and loving, but MY GOD if anyone ever interfered with our happiness you were FIERCELY protective and would shield us with your strength. I will teach my son to be his own pillar of strength should anyone ever threaten his sense of self.

💫 Humbleness. You faced many adversities during your brief time here, yet you remained humble throughout. Rarely did I hear you complaining or wishing for things to be different… I will teach my son that he is always enough and to count his blessings, even in times of adversity.

Thank you for everything that you taught me Dad 🙏🏻

Loving you always, forgetting you never 🙏🏻💙 xx

It’s Everywhere

It’s there. Even if it doesn’t always feel that way… The good. It’s everywhere.

Sometimes we’re too in our head, caught in our dramas or those of another, and the beauty is missed.

Today, find the good…

That gentle reassuring touch; a familiar smile; butter melting on warm toast; tea in your favourite mug; fresh sheets; song birds in the morning; silly dancing to your favourite tune; watching the sunset at the end of a long day; taking your next breath and exhaling deeply with a smile…

Don’t let moments like these pass you by, for they may never come to pass again.

Life is good. And today is for living.

Love always,

Hayley xx