Our Mr. Theophilus turns nine months old today!
This has been an eventful month for our boy. He has two teeth (!) he is almost walking (!!) AND he is saying MAMA (!!!). He is quiet spectacular.
Theo loves food. Just LOVES IT. So much so, that if brother or sister drop pieces of their own food on the floor, our Theo scurries under the table and tries to eat it. We have to be vigilant with this one. He prefers baby food with a more savory blend than sweet. He’s also tried eggs but that ended with projectile vomiting so I’m going to hold off on introducing that one again any time soon.
He has been enjoying the warmer weather and loves to play with water. Bath time with big sis and bro is a favorite pastime around here too. He’s our earliest riser in the house so please keep the caffeine and eye masks coming.
Let’s see, Theo
LOVES: playing with Emma and Henry, taking walks, eating pureed meats and veggies, listening to music, waking up early, and slobbery kisses
HATES: diaper changes, getting into the carseat, missing out on any of the fun, loud noises
Read MoreIt’s Saturday afternoon and two out of three kids are napping, the sun is shining, and I am feeling content. It’s amazing because, this week was one of the busiest weeks for us in a while and I feel like I’ve been running on overdrive. But sitting here at my quiet kitchen table thinking back on this week, well I’m finally exhaling. My family has been my solace through the chaos of work and home life balance (whatever balance means anyway). I’m just grateful.
Now before I wax too sappy, here are some updates from this week.
1. Emma had her last day of preschool on Thursday. She started at this school when she was almost two and a half. And now, at five years old and fewer than two months from the start of kindergarten, she said goodbye to her first teachers and those whom shared the in the gift of raising her. I am grateful for the tremendous love and care she experienced there. I am emotional as we said goodbye but we still have Henry there and Theo will start in October. It takes a village, and I have loved this one.
Read MoreHello summer! Yesterday was the first day of summer and the weather was beautiful and the sun was shining.
I’d also like to say congratulations to my amazing parents who celebrate 34 years of marriage today. Thank you for showing me an example of the Sacrament of Marriage. I love you both.
1. We are trying to iron out the kinks for our summer plans. I still have work but Emma is transitioning from pre-school to Kindergarten and we’ll be having some brief travels and grandparent time. Emma will be getting to spend several weeks with Paul’s parents then mine. Henry will get to have some time away from us for the first time, so all I have to say is, good luck to my parents on that one. Cause he’s one big daddy’s boy.
Read MoreBefore having children, I used to think that preschool graduations were silly and unnecessary. Now that I have children, I’m like GIVE ME ALL THE ADORABLE KIDS IN CAPS AND GOWNS AND GIVE THEM TO ME NOW. Emma’s preschool graduation was yesterday afternoon and it was adorable, heart-warming, and moving. My sweet baby girl is heading to kindergarten soon and I am a ball of mushy emotions.
Emma carried the American flag during the processional and helped lead the pledge of allegiance. Her class sang a song, said a poem, and did a dance. Each student also said what they wanted to be when they grew up and they got little awards and diplomas. I was beaming with pride and gratitude. She has been exceptionally cared for and nurtured by her teachers at her school. They have taught her more than I could have wished and I know she is prepared for kindergarten.
(Read on for the photos and videos portion, you don’t want to miss it.)
Read MoreIf you have been following along here for a while, you may have noticed that it’s been quiet around here. This might have been the longest writing hiatus I’ve taken since I started blogging back in 2011 (?). Well, I’ve still been microblogging over at Instagram but I haven’t had the wherewithal to write here in a while.
It’s been a busy, hectic, stressful, anxiety-inducing, joyful, wondrous past few months. Ups, downs, and sideways. I want to try to fill you in on the highlights and lowlights, because I’m all about keeping it real and authentic (gag).
But if you’re not in for a wordy post here is the tl;dr gist — The kids are good, I’m just okay, but I’m surrounded by support and love.
Now for the meaty bits.
The biggest news is that my anxiety has flared up. It’s been an exceptionally challenging few months. I finally reached out to a mental health provider to start on a plan to get better. I’m still searching for a therapist, but I took the first step in asking for help. Believe me, that was the most challenging part. My husband has been supportive, nurturing, and a true partner in all this. Due to my hectic work schedule and the demands of three small children, I wasn’t finding time for myself to decompress or destress. It finally caught up for me and after a few breakdowns, I said enough was enough.
It’s still a process obviously and I haven’t found a therapist yet. But there is something cathartic in the initiation, in the beginning, in the relinquishing of my death grip on everything. Knowing and ADMITTING that I am not well and cannot do it on my own has been a first step in management and recovery. I’m no where near “better” (if there is such a thing) but I’ve been doing some things to help.
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