As a mother of Irish Twins, children less than 12 months apart- in my case 10 months 29 days to be exact, challenge is basically my middle name now. My entire parenting journey has been one big challenge followed by another challenge, with it all then quickly becoming an entirely new challenge again and again. That’s how it feels when you go from NO kids to TWO kids in 20 months with ZERO friends or family around to assist you in the chaos.

My husband and I had to learn to rely on each other on a whole different level than we had ever imagined. Our marriage morphed into “survival mode” as we navigated sleepless nights, teething, infant constipation, finding out we we’re pregnant again when Irish Twin 1 was 12 weeks old, announcing that crazy news to our families, not getting the reactions we had hoped for (and needed), and navigating pregnancy (again) with an infant on my hip and juggling that full time job, and then with birth of Irish Twin 2- boom- I had two babies under one year old.

I went from a full time working business woman, to a full time business woman and mother of one, to a full time business woman and mother of two, to a stay at home mom of two, all within two years time. If the challenge of parenting is the constant surfing between one change and then another, well I feel like I went from amateur to pro-surfer in record time- 20 months time if you’re keeping track. This year as I aim and resolute to just finally “Embrace the Challenge” that is parenting, my Irish Twins are 2 and 3 years old and things, the challenges, are seemingly easier albeit still very difficult in their own rights, but the water seems calmer this year and the surf may be just a little a little easier on me this season, or maybe I have just really learned to balance and embrace this challenge, my challenge, my crazy journey through motherhood.