LIFE LATELY

LIFE LATELY


I have been thinking a lot lately about my life now vs my life before, it is so hard to remember how I spent my days and nights before baby. Part of me feels guilty saying that most of all of this comes pretty easy, but why should I feel guilty for saying that? I have a good baby, she's amazing! It takes a lot for her to have an off day, and when she has an off day that's when I feel the frustration of not knowing how to make it better. Other than that, my day is filled with getting to know her better, loving her 10 times more, and teaching her new things. The beginning was hard, it was a shock to the system because you don't know what the hell to do with this little human, but now everyday I wake up with a smile on my face and excited to see what new things she will learn or do. I know for a lot of people it's not that easy, and I am thankful that for me this is how it went - my life lately has been so much better than I could've imagined, and I have my daughter to thank for that. 

With winter being in full swing, the cabin fever is real - which I absolutely hate! However, the blessing of being stuck inside is figuring out "the schedule." From day one my approach has been baby led, Everly has guided me in the direction that she needed and wanted to go in, and let me tell you, putting that faith in her has paid off. Kyle always credits me on how wonderful Everly is and how she never fusses with any transitions but the truth is that it had nothing to do with me, she showed me the way and I just put it into action! Our schedule has changed a little bit recently because her wake time has gotten longer, but typically this is my day:


6:00-6:30am: Everly wakes up for the day
6:30am-9:00am: We play, she feeds, I drink a tea and have some breakfast.
9:00am-11:00am: Naptime aka time to get stuff done around the house
11:00am-2:00pm: She's awake which means more play, bottle sesh, maybe some errands, whatever our hearts desire!
2:00pm-4:00pm: Naptime round 2
4:00pm-6:30pm: Time with daddy and bedtime routine (Kyle does her bedtime routine every night unless he's working late. I come in and out and kiss her goodnight, but I love that he gets that special one on one time with her and she knows that this time with him is special)

Once she is in bed that's it, she's out for the night and won't normally wake up until the next morning. The odd time she will wake up around 4/5am for a bottle but she always goes back to sleep. I am amazed at this little girl's love for sleep, and the fact that no matter what, if she wakes up she will fall back asleep. And because the schedule is baby led, she will let me know when something needs to change. She used to have four naps a day that lasted an hour-an hour and a half, but now two naps are more than enough for her to get what she needs out of the day. 

The plus side of having her bedtime be no later than 7 means that Kyle and I can spend some time together. Time passes so fast that sometimes it feels like even though we are interacting for Everly, we aren't interacting together. So when she goes to bed we have dinner and we get to actually talk, no baby talk, or talking through Everly, we get to talk to each other together! Having a baby can be tough sometimes on each other, so I am happy that we get to communicate and spend some time together. It may not be a date night, but it's still special! 

Life lately has been a crazy ride, my Friday nights are spent a lot different than they were spent 6 months ago.. but would I change anything? Of course not. My life has just begun! 

YEAR IN REVIEW : 2016

YEAR IN REVIEW : 2016


I just went back and read the year in review for 2015 and I couldn't help but smile at how much truly changes in a year. A lot of people said that 2016 was not a good year for them, I'm not one of those people. Even though the year came with its challenges, arguments, and forgotten friends - it was full of laughter, happiness, and magic for me and my family. 

When I posted last year about how I was content about not having started a family I was actually pregnant at the time, I just had no idea. I have been pretty open about our struggles, I'm sure many people wouldn't really understand that reason, but because of my transparency I have actually helped a lot of fellow friends who have gone through similar journeys and I'm happy to help in any way. We welcomed our beautiful and bubbly little girl in September and from that moment on I have been a changed person. Looking back through my "Bumpdates" it makes me smile to see that I documented my pregnancy but also documented other things going on around me - I really want to try and continue that! Writing has always been something I have loved to do, and I love that I have these entries to look back on later in life! 

As I went through 2016 pregnant, I also went through 2016 doing a job I feel very passionate about. I was skeptical at first, but I love what I do and I love working with kids - I always have. I worked hard and went from Casual Part Time status to Contract Full Time and it made me feel a little bit more established and completely satisfied. 

Dynamics also changed in 2016, there were family dynamics that changed and are changing again for the better. When I say that Everly has changed the way I look at things I really mean it. Towards certain people in my life I was very hesitant and held a lot of anger, I'm not like that anymore. I have come to realize that sometimes we don't always get the answers we want and instead of holding onto that negative energy it's best for me to just keep moving forward. Relationships that are important will always take work on BOTH ends, so it's important to me to continue to try and also leave room for mistakes and flaws. 

In the summer my family and I said goodbye to our family dog Scooby, he was 15 years old and an important part of our family. Everyone took it pretty hard but it was his time to leave us, I truly think he did everything he was meant to do for our family. Over the years he has been there for a lot of changes and has been there to help pick up all the pieces. It makes me sad that Everly never got to meet him, but it warms my heart knowing he is somewhere where the sun shines all day, the sprinkler always shoots out water, and the backyard is endless. 

2016 overall was a year full of change and welcoming new people into my life. I made a point to not write down any "resolutions" for 2016 and the year turned out so wonderful. This year I don't think I will have any formal resolutions either! Instead of having resolutions I want to focus on just being present - being present for Everly, being present for myself, and not living through my phone all the time. I hope to keep an open mind and taking a moment each day to appreciate all I have and how far I have come in every part of my life. 

I hope 2017 brings great things for everyone!