I have always loved reading the stories behind the people.
I love hearing what drives an individuals passion, how they've overcome their struggles and how they discovered their purpose. We are all so different. That uniqueness and the ability to learn from those around us while building relationships, is the best thing about being human.
I'm going to jump ahead quite a few chapters in my life to just before I found out I was pregnant with my third son. It is August 2019. After spending a couple of years living in Central Queensland, while our house in Brisbane was being raised and slowly renovated (we are still going), we had moved back to the big city. I was in semester two of my 1st year of my Bachelor of Medical Sonography, a degree I did a 2 year bridging course (while having bub no.2) to gain entry to. I loved everything about the degree. I was doing surprisingly well juggling mum life, renovations, a husband who worked away along with study. I found myself feeling at home learning about anatomy and understanding medical imagery. It's not an easy degree with student numbers steadily declining throughout the degree, but I felt confident I would conquer it due to my life experience and dedication. They also say people with an artistic brain do quite well as Sonographers.
Skip to October 2019. It was two days before my biggest exam yet, Relational Anatomy - a double subject. Stress was high and I had started to see signs that I was pregnant. You see, I have kookaburras appear right around the time I conceive, when I find out I am pregnant and during any difficult times throughout pregnancy. It has become my 'everything is ok' sign. Even with signs appearing and the possibility of being pregnant becoming clearer, I didn't want to do a test prior to my exam to avoid study distractions. After all, I was committed to my studies and we weren't trying to fall pregnant. Exam day came and I walked out of that exam feeling so incredibly proud of myself, while letting out the biggest sigh of relief. I then walked straight to the chemist and purchased a 'First Response' pregnancy test - old reliable. When I got home, all I wanted to do was pop the champagne and celebrate the semester coming to a close and feeling like I nailed my exam, but instead nerves were building again as I knew what I had to do and deep down knowing the result *Pregnant*
It was the result I'd been over the moon to see on 4 previous occasions but it also came with fear. I had lost pregnancies (my babies) in the past while my two successful pregnancies were not smooth sailing by any means - horrible 'morning sickness' throughout, higher risk, medications, threatened pre-term labors, steroid injections, hospital stays etc. We also still had renovations to do and 2nd year of university meant more hands-on ultrasound labs and the beginning of prac. How were we going to juggle all of this? As we went further along in our pregnancy naturally the excitement of a new addition grew, while I also became more sick. I only just made it through one university subject during the summer semester while trying to survive two kids under 4.5yrs and suffering near debilitating 'morning' sickness. It was at the end of summer semester I made the decision to defer and put my energy into growing baby no.3 and juggling my eldest son, Teddy's, first year of schooling.
Two months into his prep year is when a little known virus called Covid 19 showed up... read more.
Big love,
Steph x
