Ode to my daughter

I really wanted a child. I felt as if I needed to care for someone other than my husband. Something natural yet selfish about it. I just wanted a child. My husband, not so much at first. I couldn't even maintain a house plant, let alone a child.

However, Sophia was born in a beautiful autumn day in Sandringham, VIC, Australia. It was a difficult birth story which I prefer not to tell but we made through it just fine in the end.

We expected a boy because the ultrasound technician said she saw a boy but when Sophia was born, the doctor said "congratulations, it's a beautiful baby girl". Which was utterly confusing and surprising.

Sophia has never been a difficult child. In the spectrum of child behaviours, she was always on the easy side. What's hard was mostly PUTTING HER TO SLEEEEEEPPPPP. By the age of 12 months old, she already dropped a nap and only fell asleep at 10 PM at night. It was so exhausting, I'm not sure if I've recovered from it.

Nevertheless, that was only one issue, and everything else was beautiful. Sophia was born with this incredible personality that I was never sure where it came from. Since a very young age, she has shown an incredible amount of compassion and empathy (which after 12 years working in schools and early years education, I rarely ever see in a child that young).

At two years old, when I got sick and fall asleep on the couch, she would pull a blanket over me and gave me her favourite plush toy. At three years old, in her daycare centre, she would help the much younger babies whenever they cry, she would give them toys to play with, and helped the daycare workers tidy up the room.

Sadly, Sophia started experiencing bullying at the tender age of 4 when her kindergarten classmates continually taunted her with teases, pulling her hairclips, jumpscaring her. She said to me "I don't understand why people want to be mean to each other".

Today, Sophia is already in her early years of primary school. Math and reading are her strengths. Her (very british) teacher describes her as a "jolly" child. I must give her a lot of credit. She has faced so many changes in her life, moving countries, changing friends, and to excel in school, learning in two languages at such a young age is an incredible feat.

Her interests are rocks and minerals, Egyptology, origami and other handicrafts.

Sophia also decided she doesn't believe in Santa Claus, or God, or Fairies etc etc. She has her arguments, so I let her make up her own mind and have her own opinions.

Just like any other child, Sophia has a cheeky side. She hides lollies under her desk and eats them when no one is looking. We really have to control her sugar intake!

She recently fell in love with climbing, swimming and cycling. Living in France means that you have to have an active lifestyle. Health and sports is very much encouraged.

Sophia also has an aversion to lying. She cannot lie because she feels as if it is against her morals. I am sure it will change as she grows older, but we'll see.

Recently she said "You know mama, I really like people, and I love talking to them". It's true. She's so social, I can't keep up with her. Her friends from school love her so much, they chase her down every morning and give her a hug.

My parents pushed me to become a CEO or a director of some company, or a Minister of blabla. But no, I am Sophia's mama and I am so freaking proud of that. She is my greatest achievement, and I learn so much about myself and about parenting everyday. Parenting have pushed me to learn about patience like never before, about strategic thinking, better planning, better financial management and realign my priorities in general.

But Sophia is a gift. Since day 1, she was different and special (and you're gonna hear every parent saying that about their child of course!), but I am im awe everyday with the person that she is and the person she is becoming.

I am a proud Mama.