Family

Action packed

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Action packed

Is there a word or term for being busy by purposefully making oneself Not Busy? Well, that’s what I’ve been up to lately. Trying hard to stay unbusy. Busy-free. Busyless?

What.

Mostly, that means spending time with my family and avoiding over-committing. That means unplugging from social media and reading more. That means—dare I say it—mindfulness. I’ve been taking stock at what fills my days and where I expend emotional energy. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot on my plate. By nature of working full-time out of the home and raising four kiddos, my days are filled. But when I have the opportunity to make a choice to how I spend my time and on what I spend my energy, I’ve had to do some soul-searching.

Something I’ve noticed during my time in therapy and in reflective prayer, I tend to cope by withdrawing. I put my headphones in and shut down. So it takes conscious effort and daily practice to lean into the discomfort, the messiness, the chaos. But it’s been fruitful. It’s been joy-filled.

Have I been overwhelmed by this new-found focus? Yes. Have I been happy every minute of it? Nope. But it’s yielded something good. And I’m looking forward to exploring this more.

And what does this all look like in practice? Well, I’ll show ya.

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Luca's Birth Story

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Luca's Birth Story

If you have been following me on the gram, you’ll know that we welcomed our fourth child into the world on December 18, 2020. He’s such a joy and a cutie pie and it’s basically baby spam 24/7 over on my Instagram if you want to marvel at his squishy cheeks.

Having a baby around Christmas time is busier than I anticipated it to be, plus with living in a global pandemic, work, and school stuffs, I am finally sitting down to type out Luca’s birth story (monthsssss later, fourth kiddo problems). So cozy up with your favorite beverage, your phone, and get ready for a tale.

PER USUAL, I had prodromal labor with this pregnancy just like the others. The Braxton Hicks contractions started around 20 weeks and just did not let up until the little man emerged earth side. I think with work being especially hectic and stressful, my contractions started much earlier in the pregnancy. But knowing it was going to last a while, I just learned to live with it on the daily.

But rewind to November 2020. I decided that I would take a full 3-4 weeks prior to the baby being born to start my maternity leave. With the added stress at work and navigating online school for my daughter, I was especially worn out by 8 months of pregnancy. After the Thanksgiving holiday, I stayed home to prepare for the baby, help with Emma’s schooling, and “rest”.

AIR QUOTES.

Rest? Ha. Any who.

During the first week of December, we took a family trip to Lake Tahoe. We stayed at a little resort and enjoyed some time in the snow. Basically that meant the kids sliding on their butts down a tiny hill and watching lots of TV in front of a fireplace. My contractions were really picking up during our vacation and I was worried I’d go into full-blown labor four hours away from our hospital. I breathed through nightly contractions but had to remind myself to just chill out because I didn’t need to exhaust myself before the baby even came.

Chill out? HA! Any who.

On our way home from the trip, I had strong contractions. I even threw up from them. But by the time we made it home, they had calmed down. We unpacked and settled in for a longer wait.

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At the zoo

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At the zoo

Theo turned one on Saturday and we had a simply wonderful weekend. My mom was in town to celebrate with us and it was equal parts fun and relaxation, excitement and calm. It was the perfect birthday weekend.

Theo tried his first piece of cake (in the form of a vanilla cupcake) and on Sunday we went to the zoo. We have a family membership to our local zoo and it is always a hit when we go. There is this fantastic gondola that takes you high above the trees and overlooks Oakland, Alameda, and out to San Francisco. The kids played and watched the animals and we just enjoyed one another. I am just happy, that is all!

And on to photos!

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Smile!

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Smile!

I have realized that my weekly planner posts have somewhat turned into weekly updates/seven quick takes. Although, you know me, nothing I write is quick as I can be quite wordy. But, mama is stuck in her over-use of adjectives adverbs way.

On to it!

1) Last Monday was Labor Day and Paul and I both had work off. We spent the day lounging and playing then we slipped away to dinner. We went to this mall that is about 30 minutes away from us just for a change of scenery and they had a lego store AND a Nordstrom . You know what that means…

…we made some purchases at the lego store and Nordstrom. I’m nothing if not predictable. I used to go to Nordstrom a lot in college and dental school and oh how I’ve missed it. But my wallet has not.

2) Any who, we had another busy week even though it was a short one. I went up a level in my adult ballet class, I am now officially in the beginner class and not the introduction class. I feel myself becoming stronger and more graceful. It is one of the highlights of my week for sure.

3) Emma started her pre-ballet class for five year-olds Saturday. She was so excited to start and I am excited that her tights, leotard, and ballet slippers still fit because she definitely had a growth spurt this summer. Emma also started faith formation for the first time today and she was nervous but I am grateful for our parish’s faith formation program. I cannot wait for the kids to know the Lord and the church more fully as they grow.

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