It may be raining, but things are turning green around our neighborhood and that’s got me happy and thinking spring. The trees up and down our street are sprouting leaves, magnolias are blooming, our own trees are budding their pink and white flowers, the grass is already within needs-to-be-mowed-soon range.
To cap off the month, I wanted to share a few things that have been going in my life, things I’ve been thinking about. Earlier this morning, I was snuggled up on the couch with a cup of coffee — hazelnut with a splash of half and half. What are you drinking? Are you a coffee person? Tea? Hot chocolate? Green juice? How do you get your day started?
Here we go. Our first coffee date!
We got a fence!
Oh my gosh! I’m so so excited that we finally got a fence in our backyard. We’ve been in our house for about four years now, and a couple months after we moved in, we adopted our fur baby Lycka. Pretty soon after, we realized we need a fenced-in yard. She’s a very anxious dog, so much so that it took a long time (months) for her to even want to go outside at all. And there are still days when she refuses for reasons unknown to us. She’s also very finicky about where she goes to the bathroom — she needs privacy and security. Our neighbor’s backyard is fenced in 90%, with a little opening facing our yard, and she took the liberty more times than we can count to run back there and do her business.
Three years ago we looked into getting a fence for her, and after a couple quotes we realized it just wasn’t in the cards for us at the time. We’re now in a place where we feel comfortable taking on the project. And it’s great timing because all Ethan wants is to be outside. He loves to walk around the yard, picking up sticks and leaves and bringing them to us, and he’s learning to throw a ball for Lycka — cue my heart melting. We want a space for him to be able to play, especially this summer when we have a new little squish and packing up to go to the playground feels impossible.
Next on deck for the backyard — create a toddler play space. My mind is swimming with sand boxes, music walls, water tables, slides… Who’s ready for summer?!
Making + maintaining friendships as an adult + parent
It can be difficult to make or maintain friendships as an adult, especially as a parent when it feels like free time is at a premium or just nonexistent. Something I’ve come to understand in the last few weeks is, I decide every day what’s important to me and how I spend my time. Every time I watch “just one more” episode of our latest show obsession or spend an extra few minutes on Instagram, I’ve essentially decided — whether consciously or subconsciously — that those activities are what’s important to me right now. And sometimes, those things are the most important. It’s important to take time to relax and decompress, to lounge around with your partner after the kiddos are asleep.
But I’ve been saying for years that I miss the friendships I lost after high school and college, and that I’d love to have a bit of a social life again — if only I had the time. And so I’ve been consciously making it a priority to not only find the time, but to reach out, to find opportunities to meet new people and to catch up with some really great friends.
In April, I joined a book club, with Kristian’s encouragement. It was scary to put myself out there, to send a message out to our neighborhood’s Facebook group without knowing what the outcome would be. And then to go to a house on the other side of town to spend the evening with a group of women I’d never met before. Cue anxiety and the resistance in my mind telling me I should really wash that load of laundry or do the dishes or anything-that-feels-safe-and-comfortable. But I pushed myself out the door, and ended up having a really great time.
And this week I have a lunch date on the books as well as breakfast plans with my best friend from high school. To say I’m looking forward to this week is an understatement.
When did my baby get so big?
I feel like every parent in the world has uttered these words at some point in their kiddo’s first years, but seriously — when did my baby get so big? In the month since his first birthday, it seems like he’s grown by leaps and bounds, physically, emotionally and intellectually. No need to roll up those pants anymore because he’s already grown into his 18-month clothes. A couple weeks ago he magically figured out how to drink from a straw, which means bottles are on the way out (both extremely happy and just a little sad about that). And just this weekend, he learned how to get the cheerios out of his toddler snack bowl — you know, the one with the openings on the top so they can squeeze their little hands in there and grab them? Super cute. Also, there are cheerios everywhere.
He’s full-swing in a clingy phase right now, and this mama doesn’t mind one bit. I’ve been loving the extra snuggles, and all the running “crash hugs” are the absolute best.
Slow down, little man!
T-minus 8 weeks until baby #2 is due to arrive
We’re eight weeks away from having two babies. 2 months = 2 babies. I just, I feel like I don’t know what to say.
I know I just covered this, but it really is so hard to believe that Ethan’s already a year old. The last 13 months have flown by, and it feels like just last week we had all of his newborn things out, that I was doing his first load of laundry with the Dreft baby detergent (still one of my favorite smells ever), that we were getting his nursery ready. And then going through those first few weeks of not knowing how to dress him, worrying constantly if he was too hot or too cold, trying to figure out how to feed him and all the things that go with that. The sleepless nights, the pumping.
All of it was so worth it.
It can be hard when you’re in it and you’re a brand new parent, and you don’t think that anything you’re doing is right. But looking back on those times that were difficult or exhausting, it was all absolutely worth it because he’s the best thing that ever happened to us. And I can’t believe we get to do it all over again, that we get the opportunity to have another little squish in our family.
I’ve heard from several people that one is none and two is ten, and some are even asking, “Are you sure?” Um, it’s a little late for that! And yes, we couldn’t be more sure. Our boys will be 15 months (give or take) apart which feels perfect for our family. I’m trying hard to head into this next chapter without fear or apprehension. I can’t wait to have a newborn again, to bring him into our family and introduce him to his big brother.
We’re in the process of pulling out Ethan’s old newborn things and getting nursery #2 up and running — hence the mess in the photo above, as we’re just starting on this transformation from office / yoga / dog / catch-all space to baby room.
We’re ready for this little dude. Maybe not quite this second, he still has some cooking to do in there. But we’re ready to meet him.
Phew! Thanks for sticking with me, that was a lot. Some exciting things, some anxiety-inducing things — all the things we’d talk about on a coffee date IRL. I hope you’ve all had a fantastic April.
What are you looking forward to in May?
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