October 17, 2018

October on the Island is kind of stunningly beautiful—all the colors. Im going to try and remember this beauty once its November and dark and likely constantly drizzling. Currently its Wednesday afternoon, and I’m sitting down to reflect with a warm cup of coffee. I tried hard to be consistent in making these posts for Monday’s…The intent was there but… such is life. 

I feel like the last bits of sand are trickling through the hour glass of my maternity leave, and I’m clinging on to every moment for dear life. I’m so incredibly grateful that I was able to have an entire year of maternity/parental leave and soak it up to its entirety. The upcoming change and new routines that will have to be initiated as our new reality are slightly overwhelming but necessary. I know once we’ve worked out the kinks and are in our new groove everything will be totally fine; before we shake things up again in January with new opportunities (more on that later!)

The past couple weeks flew by. Thanksgiving weekend was filled with turkey and family dinners none of which I had to cook (Just Yams x2!), late bedtimes, relaxation and baseball watching. This past weekend Benen got to have quality time with his Grandma and Grandpa and Grammy and Papa while we celebrated a friends birthday at the new driving range and then attended a wedding up at Mt. Washington.

Breaking News: Benen took his first steps! He’s been close for weeks now taking a half step here and there and then as if it was no big deal confidently and casually just decided to go for it. SO proud.

In the past two weeks he’s cut another tooth, and started sharing (you know that cute way tiny humans extend their arm to offer you a toy, cracker, etc and then take it back). He says “ommmm nummm numm” and smacks his lips together when he eats, gives big open mouth kisses and hangs on so tight when you carry him.

We’re currently trying to tackle sleep—for the past few nights 11:30 pm seems like an appropriate time to wake up and be extremely alert, restless and hysterical until almost 02:00 and even then never entirely settling. This is kind of new… typically he likes to eat and then head straight back into dreamland… so we’re playing around with nap times and different strategies, drinking all the coffee and basically sending up flares #SOS.

I’m trying to decide how to celebrate this little mans first year with us earthside. I’m flip flopping between a rad birthday party and an intimate family gathering. Both would be perfect, so I think really I’m just putting off planning anything because there is NO way that my baby is going to be ONE in less than a month—straight up impossible.