Monday, March 5, 2012

Spring is Coming

And with it, a lot of changes and transitions for our little family. I guess it's kind of fitting that spring is a time of change for us. I mean the outside is slowly transitioning into new life and so are we.

Our first major change is our living situation. We knew that this would be our last year in the apartment, and that we would be looking for a new place to go. But it turns out that finding a new place isn't as easy when you have two dogs, two kids, and a budget. So my parents generously offered to let us move in with them for a few months so we can save up for a down payment on a house. I am MORE than thankful that we have this option and I can see so many upsides to being there. (babysitters, home cooked meals, help with the kids, a yard, a nearby park, and so on.)

But I would be lying if I said that I welcomed this opportunity with open arms. In fact, I tried my hardest to avoid it. Why? Pride, plain and simple. I was worried about being judged by my friends and I really wanted to continue living on my own. I mean I haven't lived at home full time since before college when I was 17! But I had been praying for a house with a yard and park nearby. God answers in funny ways I guess. So while this may not have been my first choice, it is the best choice. Our family will benefit in SO many ways and I am so glad that I was able to get past my pride and see that.

With moving comes the task of packing, something that ALWAYS has and ALWAYS will stress me out. But I am learning to take it one step at a time. Ryan is so much better at handling overwhelming tasks like that. He seems to be able to look at it and see what needs to be done and how to accomplish it. All I see is a two bedroom apartment that appeared to be small but in reality has TONS of things that need to be sorted, packed, and stored away! But, like I said, I am taking it slowly and I will follow Ryan's lead on this one to try and avoid meltdowns and unneeded stress.

So besides moving (in a month!!!) we have a party to plan. My biggest will be 2 in less than a month. It's such a bittersweet thing to watch her move further away from the baby stage and into childhood. As we prepare for our move, we also have to take in to account all of her transitions. She will be moving out of her crib when we get to my parents', we'll start potty training seriously, she'll have her first hair cut, and the weaning from the pacifier will actually happen. So much to look forward to (and dread). I'm so glad we'll have help with it all.

Not to mention our little man is slowly but surely working on becoming mobile. He scoots and rolls and has made some valiant attempts at crawling. That is something I am not ready for, two mobile kids ... EEK! He's currently teething and it's a nightmare. The poor kid is cutting like 4 teeth at once. He already has 3 bottom teeth in and is working on some top ones and at least another bottom one. We're also slowly tackling solids and working on getting him to appreciate them. He has taken to oatmeal okay, but when we attempted pureed green beans, he gagged and threw up. But let's be honest, it's pureed green beans, they can't be all that yummy. But my little one is now more than halfway to a year old and I can see glimpses of the little boy he's going to become now and again. Once he starts walking and talking and eating real food I'm sure I'll wish for my tiny snuggle buddy back. Right now though, I am just enjoying watching him hit all the new milestones and experience life.

And finally one last thing. A lot of our friends are getting ready for some major life changes too. I have three friends that are currently expecting babies and for two of them, it's their first baby! I am so happy for all of them, and it's kind of nice to be on the outside looking in. I have been pregnant for the majority of the last two years, so I can be sympathetic and understanding for all of them! And I am more than excited to cuddle some tiny newborns, BUT give them back to their parents for the night! I did have a thought of how much fun it would be to be pregnant at the same time as my friends, but it was fleeting. I'm ready to be the friend who they can call at 2:00 when the baby is up and they want someone to talk to, or the one who can step in and watch the baby so Mama can get a nap or a shower!

Life is surely going to get busy soon and I am ready for it. So forgive me if my blogging is even less frequent than it has been. We have a lot to do and not much time.

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