Gaining confidence — 3rd week at Coder Academy done!

My 3rd week at Coder Academy started off great! I found myself holding my head up high again, making my way to the city Monday morning to start a new week at Coder Academy. Our portfolio presentations were due on Wednesday and submission was Sunday, so plenty to be getting on with, but I was right on track. I was timeboxing myself whenever I found myself trying to go beyond what was asked of us and I was not concentrating producing a perfect website, but one that functions and ticks all the boxes. Like I said, I was feeling confident that it was going to be a good week.

Last few years, since having my first child, have been the best in so many ways, but as days, months, years went by I found myself looking down more and more. Not only cause my children are still little and need an eye kept on but also because I felt lost and couldn’t imagine ever being anything else again but a mother. My confidence had taken a knock and I could not see a way back…

So Monday morning I found myself with a bit of a hop in my step and a smile on my face. I was happy to put the coding hat on and leave the mummy hat home for the day.

Tuesday was a mixed bag of emotions. For the first time my 14 month old girl didn’t cry when being left at daycare, instead she reached out to her educator and once handed over, she turned around and blew me a kiss. Sounds lovely doesn’t it, but I was an emotional wreck the whole way to the city. Only a mother would understand the ache that leaves you with. Makes me emotional just writing this :). But fortunately, my love of coding snapped me out of it once it was time to crack on with it.

Wednesday was presentation day. I have done my fare share of public speaking being a former hospitality manager, but I still get nervous. Until this day I had made a conscious decision not to look at the websites most of my cohort had produced. I was right to do so, cause they had made some great looking websites.

Thursday and Friday are working from home days and I spent most of those days concentrating on the other assignment. I did get distracted a number of times, wanting to add some bells and whistles to my portfolio website, but even so, I only let myself have 15 min to attempt a new feature and if I wasn’t making good progress or if by doing so I was breaking something I else, I rolled back.

Thursday was also the day our daycare called to say that Leon has a temperature and needs to come home. Fortunately, my partner is working from home and we always knew sooner or later one of them was going to get sick, so he was on hand to take on dad duties and I could carry on as I was.

Friday got a phone call from daycare to say Nola is not well and needs to come home… Ok, time for a visit to the doctors… Boom, both the kids have tonsillitis!!! :(

Obviously everyone had to be tested for Covid and we were told to self isolate until the results came back (everyone was negative). Yes, sounds like an awesome opportunity to get some additional coding done, not being able to leave the house, but that is not the case with two young kids who are upset all day long cause they are in pain and barely sleep at night cause they are burning up.

Lots of cuddles, TV and doses of medicine later, everyone seems to be on the mend. Phew!

Assignment was submitted in time and time to start a new week with hopefully everyone being back to full health.