Jette is 8 months and 7 days old. Tonight is New Years Eve. A week has already passed since Christmas Eve. I remember last New Years Eve like it was yesterday. We were in Rosyln for Brenan and Lacey's wedding which was on the 30th. We went snowshoeing on New Years Eve with Erica and Jacquie. We were 5 months pregnant. We went snowshoeing again today - this time with an 8 month old. Today I am truly amazed how quickly time moves.
The last month has been special. Getting ready for Christmas - getting out the decorations and finding a tree. It has always felt special but doing it with my little family made it feel even more special. Then actually going to Utah to celebrate was a highlight of the year. I get pretty homesick a few times a year - and I was homesick for a few weeks before we went home. Being there for just a few days filled my tank and made being away okay. I loved watching Jette with my family - particularly Tol, Addi and Ben. Jette is a lucky girl to get those kids as cousins (and I am one lucky auntie!)! Nils and Ashley weren't able to make it to Utah this year because they are expecting their second baby in a few weeks but the rest of us were there and it was great. A lot of love and laughter and of course a few heated political conversations. :) My family can't spend too much time together without getting into healthy debates. I appreciate those conversations so much because we try and understand each other and even though some of us firmly disagree we generally end conversations with an "i love you." There were several times while we were in Utah I got weepy because my heart was full of so much gratitude. I love my family and I love that Jette gets to be apart of them.
We were able to see Kolby and that was a treat. Jette seems to adore him. She is starting to get to that stage where she doesn't like being held by people she doesn't know well. She didn't have a problem with Kolby. It was sweet. Kolby spent a couple hours at my parents house on the 26th and played the piano and sang with Curtis. Those couple hours were the highlight of my trip.
What else - we got all of our accommodations for Thailand booked. We leave February 3rd and return the 18th. I'm very much so looking forward to it but intimidated by the long flight with the baby. Work is going well for both of us. We like Kenmore - we've been to Saint Edwards Park, Erin takes J to story time at the library, Erin has become a permeant fixture at the local Cross Fit gym and we are much closer to the mountains.
Jette is so fun and seems to get more fun by the day. Her smiles (which now has 2 little teeth), her giggles, her movements - everything about her is fun and better than the day before. I love her so much and I'm so glad she's mine.
2017 was a great year. It brought so many blessings - things I have wanted my entire life - and so much change. My baby, a new job, our house, deepened friendships, self growth, a lot of love and so much more. I'm eager to see what 2018 has in store. Herrrrrrrre we go!
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Monday, December 4, 2017
7 Months
Jette is 7 months and 12 days. Time is a cruel, cruel thing! It goes by too quickly except for when you want it to go fast and then it goes incredibly slow. But it generally goes too fast PARTICULARLY when you have a baby - the time, at least for me, that I want to remember every detail and I can't remember anything because I am too scattered and too sleep deprived.
Even still, Jette is everything. That little person has such a big personality - she's fun and funny and mobile and interactive and responsive and she certainly has strong opinions about things. She is happy - except for when she isn't and when she isn't, oh man, she will let me know! She is a great eater and has once again turned into a great sleeper and she has two little teeth that are poking out. She loves baths and to be sung to. She likes tasting new things and she holds her bottle with one hand like it isn't a big deal. She does this thing where she moves her lips with her fingers when she makes a sound - she does it often and it makes us laugh every time.
Jami and Dan came to visit a few weeks ago. It was so nice to have Jami here - Dan too! They were the first out of town visitors to the new house and they helped with a handful of house projects - which was so nice! We explored the city, went to a Seahawks game, visited a lot and raked nearly 900lbs of leaves - no joke. 900. I go through spurts of being homesick - mostly homesick for my siblings - so having Jami here helped hold me over until Christmas.
Only a few more weeks until I get to home with my family. I am looking forward to it so much - being home, being with my family, being in the snow, being near my mountains. I will enjoy our decorated house in the meantime.
Thanksgiving was great. I don't remember a Thanksgiving feeling so grateful. I am grateful for my life, for my family, for my job - Erin's too - and the things that our work provides. Our house, our things, our healthcare, etc- and so much satisfaction because we are able to make a difference in our own way. I missed my family on Thanksgiving - I normally do on holidays - but we were with Erin's family and that was nice.
Our house is still coming together. We have purchased a few pieces which makes it feel better - a lot more homey. We're getting new windows next week and getting our wood burring fireplace fixed - and in a few weeks we're getting a gas insert. Our house is a bit cold and drafty so all of those things will help a lot! Then in the spring we plan to update the kitchen but we'll see when that happens - no rush. My colleague let us borrow her wood splitter so we've been going crazy with that thing and now we have a shed full of wood. House projects for days and more yard work than I've ever done!
Being a mom is wonderful - and so much different than I thought. I romanticized it so much before Jette actually arrived. It is as good as I thought it would be - it's better than I thought it would be AND it is much harder than I ever considered too. And it isn't the mom part that is hard - it's being a mom while I'm still a person that likes to work a lot, have deep connections with friends and spend time with my wife - among so many other things. Jette makes life so much sweeter and she has changed me in so many ways that I will try to capture in words - she motivates me like no one ever has to work hard - not only because I want to provide for her but because I want her to watch her mom make a difference in the world. She makes me more intentional about serving others and being around her makes me more aware of God in my life. She makes it easier to disconnect and be present - although that is still hard for me sometimes. She makes me smile and laugh a lot and when she is around I tend to sing more. Being Jette's mom makes me think of my parents often and my heart bursts with gratitude for them and the sacrifices they made and continue to make for me. I feel more connected to God in a way that I haven't felt in years - and I don't even know what that means anymore but I feel connected and I am grateful for that. Jette seems to be the greatest miracle of my life. Not just that she is an amazing little human - but that she is mine. Never in a million years did I really think I could or would have her. I am so thankful - thankful to live during a time when it's okay and possible for a family like mine to exist, thankful I am healthy so I am able to enjoy it, thankful that I can provide for her - and thankful for 1million other things, too. I feel so blessed. And I will do my best to pay it forward!
Even still, Jette is everything. That little person has such a big personality - she's fun and funny and mobile and interactive and responsive and she certainly has strong opinions about things. She is happy - except for when she isn't and when she isn't, oh man, she will let me know! She is a great eater and has once again turned into a great sleeper and she has two little teeth that are poking out. She loves baths and to be sung to. She likes tasting new things and she holds her bottle with one hand like it isn't a big deal. She does this thing where she moves her lips with her fingers when she makes a sound - she does it often and it makes us laugh every time.
Jami and Dan came to visit a few weeks ago. It was so nice to have Jami here - Dan too! They were the first out of town visitors to the new house and they helped with a handful of house projects - which was so nice! We explored the city, went to a Seahawks game, visited a lot and raked nearly 900lbs of leaves - no joke. 900. I go through spurts of being homesick - mostly homesick for my siblings - so having Jami here helped hold me over until Christmas.
Only a few more weeks until I get to home with my family. I am looking forward to it so much - being home, being with my family, being in the snow, being near my mountains. I will enjoy our decorated house in the meantime.
Thanksgiving was great. I don't remember a Thanksgiving feeling so grateful. I am grateful for my life, for my family, for my job - Erin's too - and the things that our work provides. Our house, our things, our healthcare, etc- and so much satisfaction because we are able to make a difference in our own way. I missed my family on Thanksgiving - I normally do on holidays - but we were with Erin's family and that was nice.
Our house is still coming together. We have purchased a few pieces which makes it feel better - a lot more homey. We're getting new windows next week and getting our wood burring fireplace fixed - and in a few weeks we're getting a gas insert. Our house is a bit cold and drafty so all of those things will help a lot! Then in the spring we plan to update the kitchen but we'll see when that happens - no rush. My colleague let us borrow her wood splitter so we've been going crazy with that thing and now we have a shed full of wood. House projects for days and more yard work than I've ever done!
Being a mom is wonderful - and so much different than I thought. I romanticized it so much before Jette actually arrived. It is as good as I thought it would be - it's better than I thought it would be AND it is much harder than I ever considered too. And it isn't the mom part that is hard - it's being a mom while I'm still a person that likes to work a lot, have deep connections with friends and spend time with my wife - among so many other things. Jette makes life so much sweeter and she has changed me in so many ways that I will try to capture in words - she motivates me like no one ever has to work hard - not only because I want to provide for her but because I want her to watch her mom make a difference in the world. She makes me more intentional about serving others and being around her makes me more aware of God in my life. She makes it easier to disconnect and be present - although that is still hard for me sometimes. She makes me smile and laugh a lot and when she is around I tend to sing more. Being Jette's mom makes me think of my parents often and my heart bursts with gratitude for them and the sacrifices they made and continue to make for me. I feel more connected to God in a way that I haven't felt in years - and I don't even know what that means anymore but I feel connected and I am grateful for that. Jette seems to be the greatest miracle of my life. Not just that she is an amazing little human - but that she is mine. Never in a million years did I really think I could or would have her. I am so thankful - thankful to live during a time when it's okay and possible for a family like mine to exist, thankful I am healthy so I am able to enjoy it, thankful that I can provide for her - and thankful for 1million other things, too. I feel so blessed. And I will do my best to pay it forward!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)