Feed on
Posts
Comments

the first six months

For anyone out there who reads this blog (and kudos to you since I haven’t posted one word in over a year), I am going to give you a quick list of the top 10 highlights of the year before I jump into the first six months:

  1. January 2015 – I resigned my position as the Early Childhood Director at our church.
  2. February 2015 – I started compiling a list of all the projects (house and garage), and personal development goals I wanted to start working towards.
  3. April 2015 – SURPRISE! Early spring we found ourselves expecting another Slater, due in December.
  4. April-December 2015 – Morning sickness. Morning sickness.  More morning sickness (add in some heartburn and edema, and VOILA…nine very pregnant months go by).
  5. Dreams placed on the back burner for a while.
  6. July 2015 – Joel started graduate school.
  7. July 2015 – We took our annual trip to North Carolina where I passed out on the beach (oh the drama!), and an OBGYN just happened to be walking by…it’s a whole story…but not for now.
  8. September 2015 – Kids started school – 7th, 5th and 3rd grades.
  9. September 2015 – Joel turned 40
  10. Jasper Sifa Slater was born on December 19, 2015

That about covers it.  There could be much more, but my brain is so foggy.  I can barely remember what we did last week.

The first six months…post-partum…

I thought about blogging something after Jasper was born, but let’s be honest here…for the first two months I sat in the same spot, every. single. day.  And nursed that baby because that was the only thing he wanted to do.  That, and be carried, facing outward, all over the house. He hated the swing.  He hated his car seat.  He hated the swaddle.  He loved to nurse and walk.  Period.

By the time Jasper was three months old we were in full swing with school, sports, and church activities.  And Jasper’s new favorite thing was not sleeping.  Ever.  Naps?  No.  Nighttime?  No.  Thirty minutes here and there?  Yes.  Because that is all a three month old needs, right?  A good thirty minutes of shut-eye and BAM, we’re back in business.  I was a walking zombie by that point, but I wore make-up and did my hair, so I’m pretty sure I hid it well.

I don’t even remember April and May.  I think we were busy.  Sydney turned 13, and I came up with the brilliant idea of throwing her two parties (one for her school friends and one for her church friends) because THIRTEEN.  That’s kind of a big deal.  So I went without sleep (what’s new, right?), baked and cleaned and planned and shopped for the love of my eldest daughter.  And if you are looking for a good definition of insane, I have one for you.  Remember #6 on my list of top ten highlights?  In May Joel graduated with his master’s degree.  Yes.  We are out of our minds.  All the while, Jasper kept nursing (still his favorite) and weighed 19 pounds at his four month check up.  My milk could end world hunger.  I am not kidding.

Here it is, June.  I can’t even.  Where did the past six months go?  I know.  They went with the basketball practices and games, the loading and unloading of a car seat for the daily round trips to and from school, the chorale rehearsals, the weekly ballet practices, the Sunday church services and Wednesday night clubs, a million diaper changes, bath times and family dinners.  The past six months went by with all of the memories and crazy and this-is-our-life-and-it’s-good-so-try-to-enjoy-it-because-time-is-precious-and-fleeting-and-it-never-slows-down.  Whew.

If you were to ask me what I have gained over the first six months of Jasper’s sweet life I would say this:

  1. I have gained an incredible appreciation for this season of my life.  When they say time goes by fast, they aren’t kidding.  It was only yesterday that Sydney was born, and now she’s thirteen.  How in the world?  Time.  That I get to experience the baby kisses and cuddles, soft skin and milky baby breath, and all the firsts one more time is a gift that I do not take for granted.  I am grateful.  I can honestly say that I appreciate all of this so much more this time around.
  2. And the other thing I have gained?  Sleep deprivation.

And that is all I’m going to say about that.

How am I, are we, doing after the first sixth months?

We are doing grateful.

IMG_7499

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

One Response to “the first six months”

  1. Oh my gosh I LOVE this post! I can so relate– although I don’t have 3 older children to take care of. YOU ARE SUPER WOMAN!

Leave a Reply