little black journal

Ah, March…March was full of long walks and longer naps as I soaked up my final few weeks of maternity leave.  That period of work-free life was made even more luxurious by the fact that Shane had a couple of weeks off between jobs, so we brunched with Isaac and played a little pickle ball and took more walks.  I ticked off a good chunk of to-do’s and then frantically relaxed, if that’s a thing, knowing how precious that time off of work was.

On the weekends Juliette joined us on our shenanigans.  Harry’s Beach House brunch is still our all-time fave.

March also brought on the onset of Juliette’s first softball season; she’s got team practice once a week, but requests bonus catching and batting time on evenings and weekends.

This patch of dirt at Hiwatha is where we spend our Saturday afternoons now!

And then, the long-anticipated first game!  The dugout was buzzing with excitement as girls pulled out their bats and helmets and checked the line-up.  Gosh, I love watching kids sports – what they lack in skill, they make up for in enthusiasm.

Gooooooo Dragons!

Juliette was a champ; she got a couple of hits, fielded a couple of grounders, and gleefully cheered on each of her teammates when they stepped up to the plate.

Isaac wins the award for Sweetest Spectator.

Game two was even more fun to watch, as the girls fell into the swing of things.

When we’re not soft-balling, we’re play-grounding.

This boy loves the feel of grass between his fingers – every time we set him down on a nice juicy lawn, he looks at me like, “why have you been keeping me inside all these months?!”.

Shane’s pickleball infatuation continues and has taken root in a good few of our friends.  I’m happy to hang with Isaac while the crew plays, but have hopped in for the occasional match.  I see the draw – a good volley is so satisfying.

March wasn’t all sunshine and playgrounds – there were plenty of rainy days that kept us indoors for tickle fights and snuggle fests.

And crafting!  Juliette had a few friends over one morning for a couple of hours of cutting and gluing and listening to Taylor Swift.

Isaac was the belle of the ball.  Little ham!

And finally, March brought Spring blooms.  Every year I find myself stunned by how good our neighborhood looks in the springtime.

Juliette gives cherry blossoms two thumbs up.

Misty mornings, sunny afternoons…either way, these tunnels of blooms are some kinda magic.

Walks with my boy…I love them so much.

It’s in the 60’s as I type this and I’m hoping we’ve put our beanies away for the season, but last month they got plenty of use.

I looked so happy carrying Isaac in the Ergo that Juliette decided to strap her favorite puppy to her chest.  She dressed him in one of Isaac’s old onesies and grabbed one of Isaac’s hats.  Such a little mama, this girl.

We strolled down this cherry blossom row, just a block from our house, every chance we got.

And then on April 4th I returned to the office and we all got to work finding our new groove.  It’s been easier and harder and better and worse than I expected, depending on the day.  I’m so thankful for those several months I had to focus just on holding my babes close.  Best job ever.

7 months and filling out so much more of his corner of the gray rocking chair these days…

And let’s just admire this belly for a moment!

I head back to work in a couple of days and so this past month I’ve been walking the line between giving my boy whatever he wants whenever he wants it and moving him toward some sort of feeding and napping schedule for the sake of his future caregivers.  I tried to quit the lap naps cold turkey a couple of weeks ago but have since realized that he’s more flexible than I gave him credit for – I can nurse and rock him for a morning nap if that’s what my heart desires and he’ll only raise a minor stink if I drop him in his crib for his afternoon snooze.  Snuggles it is!

And still so happy to see me if I’ve made him sleep alone…

He’s much stronger than he was a month ago and much prefers to be sitting rather than laying.  Lots of time spent in his booster seat by the window watching the world go by…

And sitting up on the floor with very few tumbles!  I can leave him perched on a soft blanket next to a basket of toys and he’s good to go for several minutes.  He woke up super-early a couple of days ago and once I accepted he wasn’t going back to sleep, I set him on his blanket with his favorite playthings.  I laid down on the floor next to him and woke up almost an hour later with buddy still going strong!

I’m a little more careful about leaving him on the bed with all the rolling around he’s doing, but he does love a cushy mattress.

We’re still working on the food sitch, but it is (usually) fun to have him join us at the dinner table.  I feed Isaac, Juliette feeds one of her stuffies…we’re one big happy fam.

Isaac gets so excited by his mixture of yogurt and applesauce that he’s eagerly grabbing for the spoon before I can even get the food in his mouth.  So now snack time takes three spoons…one for me, one for each of this hands.

He seems to think that if he puts an empty spoon into a mouth full of food, he’s feeding himself.  We’ll get there, kiddo!

His perforated teething pacifier with a chunk of apple or frozen peach is a cleaner, surer bet if I’m looking to keep him happy while I cook (or attempt to actually feed myself!).

And…toes for dessert?

It still feels like there aren’t a ton of outings we can do that will actually engage him, but this boy does love his swings.  He also loves watching other kids play on the playground and is mesmerized by the sight of other babies.  Bodes well for daycare!

We’ve largely given up the 5pm stroller doze but have incorporated the 6pm Ergo walk into our evening routine.  I love this part of the day, feeling him mellow out as he nestles into my chest.  7pm bedtime can quickly devolve into a complete shitshow, but for these few minutes, we’re so happy together.

The stroller nap does still occasionally happen if we’re out and about and he’s completely tuckered.  I have a photo of Juliette passed out in her carseat clutching this same giraffe.

EIGHT years ago!

He learned how to blow spit bubbles last month and thinks it’s great fun.  Juliette tells him he’s being gross, but true to form as the taunting little bro, this just makes him do it more.

It’s especially great when he comes in for an open-mouthed kiss with a chin dripping with drool.

Savoring these long, quiet days at home together.

And afternoons with sister.

Oh, Bud…to have the luxury of time to so attentively watch you grow has been a dream.  As you laid in my lap yesterday and so carefully studied your hands, wiggling your fingers as you seemed to discover they were yours, I thought, this is the stuff.  The stuff I’m so thankful to bear witness to.  On Monday we’ll both spread our wings a little wider.  But know that on evenings, on Fridays, on weekends, and even in the middle of the night if you really, really need it, we’ll meet at our beloved gray chair.  There’s still plenty of rocking to be done.