2018 Year in Review

2018 was pretty special for being the year we became a family of five. Our daughter was born in January so it's been a whole year of adjusting for us. I feel like adding one more kid tipped the scales into "big family" territory.

If I were to briefly summarize a year of three kids ages 5 and under, I'd say it was physically demanding. With one kid who can't walk or do anything for herself (and she is no lightweight!) and two others who still need a lot done for them...we don't sit down very much. It's all worth it and we made lots of wonderful memories.

They're cute and oh so active!

You can't have too much stroller for this situation (often the blonde one sits on the footrest at the front).

The beauty of this event was not just the baptism but that all five of us made it to church on time and looking this good.

And while I'm showing our good side, this was us on Easter, also known as the one other day in 2018 that we had it together.

Despite how hard it can be for all of us to be in the car for more than 10 minutes, we managed to leave Georgia twice. We took fun trips to Destin and Chattanooga.

I'm still living the Honda Accord life. It might be 16 years old, but she's a healthy 16! When it dies or at least starts limping we're planning to jump on the minivan train. The backseat is very full.

The two little ones do this thing where they both want to be held at the same time and there's no reasoning with them about it.

Here's a picture of the R family cousins in 2018. At Memorial Day we had six kids ages six and under! Number 7 is already on deck for arriving in 2019!

In non-parenting news...

I did a lot of reading this year. I read 17.5 books*, which is a lot for me. By chance, I read a lot of historical fiction and ended up learning more about Albert Einstein, the Underground Railroad, the Nigerian Civil War, and Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution. My favorite book of 2018 was Americanah. The story and writing are great and the racial themes made me think. When I was finished, I read two more books by the same author. Another fictional selection, Almost Sisters, was also wonderful.

I've got some ideas for 2019 but I'm happy to take any recommendations too!

In 2018 I stepped it up with using reusable grocery bags and produce bags and bringing my own travel coffee cup or fountain drink cup to coffee shops and other casual eating establishments. We regularly turn down straws and water bottles. It may be just drops in the ocean, but I'm a believer that everyone can do something and every little bit counts. In 2019, we're trying to use cloth napkins and I'd like to look into fair trade chocolate and coffee a bit more. 

You were mostly good to us, 2018. Onward ho!

*Fun fact: I read all the books electronically: one on my phone and the rest on a Kindle. They might've all been from the library.

This One's For The Girls

I know this blog has been all kid and travel pics for the past 10 years, but things have gone loco in the world lately and it's stirred up some thoughts in my head. I’m surely not the only one who reads the headlines and regularly thinks, “what is even happening right now???”

So I never thought I’d say this but…I’ve been binging on politics. I’ve been watching interviews and debates, reading articles across multiple sources, and listening to podcasts with a particular focus on the elections in Georgia. I’m all in or all out and I’ve been out for too long.

I try to refrain from bringing up politics as a matter of etiquette. However, we've collectively gone so far down the crazy slide by now that I’m not even sure what the rules are anymore.

So here’s who I’m pulling for this election: two women who are running for the top offices in Georgia and whose talent and ambition should not be overlooked. 

I believe it's been pretty well established that women are generally competent multi-tasking geniuses who know how to get things done and add value and perspective to any organization.

And yet...please brace yourself for this non-surprise…women are underrepresented in many organizations including the government. Women account for 19% of the House and 23% of the Senate. 12% of governors are women. This could change because in the current elections, more women are running than ever before.

Here in Georgia, we have two impressive women running for office: Stacey Abrams for Governor and Sarah Riggs Amico for Lieutenant Governor. They went to Yale Law School and Harvard Business School, respectively. I’ve listened to both speak many times through interviews, speeches, and podcasts. I follow them on Instagram. Actually I’ve read or watched almost everything posted on Instagram by both of these candidates as well as their opponents.

Just my daughter and I hanging at the local Stacey Abrams rally!

I’ve found both Abrams and Amico to be intelligent, well informed, and even humorous. They have clear ideas and strong values. They’re super knowledgeable about policy because they’re nerdy like that and seem to enjoy it. They have motivated and mobilized people all over the state by telling them their participation is important and their voices can be heard through voting. They are giving hope to groups who have previously felt hopeless.

Basically, the Abrams/Amico team has hung the moon and then some, which is sadly necessary for women to have a chance against Republican men (neither of whom, by the way, are incumbents). Even with many factors working against them, I understand that both races are a statistical tie going into election day.

Perhaps what appeals to me most is that I see from Abrams and Amico compassion and concern for all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or immigration status.

For the first time this year I have emailed a representative, donated to a political cause I believe in, and put up a political sign in my yard. These are baby steps for sure and other women have marched, organized and participated in campaigns, and become activists. I hope what we're seeing with women involvement and women candidates is only the beginning. 

In this election, I am voting for inclusion and acceptance of all people. I am voting for diverse representation and new voices. I am voting for healthcare, the environment, gun control, and public schools. On my ballot and in my opinion, these things are most championed by Democratic women. 

All this is to say that voting is your voice so make sure you use it. GO VOTE!

Spring 2018

Spring 2018 was heavily booked and under-rested! We got used to our new addition while carting the other two around to school and various activities.

Tiger Cub played his first season of baseball. It was his first team sport. He had fun but I was...exhausted. I think it was too many late games with three kids at a ball field after bedtime and Randy at work. I hope we can build up our stamina for sports activities! We did very much approve of his team colors!

Meanwhile, Small Bear was quite content to go jump off the bleachers and run around with other 2 year olds.

He also finished a successful year of pre-k and is now on to kindergarten!

We now qualify for the largest cart Target has to offer. It pushes well enough but steers like an ocean liner.

Since I last blogged, Little Lady has turned 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 months old! (And she's knocking on the door of 6 months.)

The boys are getting along with their baby sister. She smiles and laughs at them all the time.

We planted some flowers and are currently struggling to keep them all alive through these hot months.

Easter was lovely. Easter baskets, church, and an egg hunt made for a very full morning!

Tiger Cub wrapped up a fun year of church choir. The robes are the best!

And finally...the R family came to visit us for Memorial Day weekend. There are six cousins ages 6 and under and it's always great fun to get them together!

Labor Day

I'll go ahead and offer a disclaimer that this is a pretty dull account where things went according to a loose plan and everyone emerged emotionally intact. It wasn't nearly as harrowing as the tale of Small Bear's entry into the world. You can review that here.

The short story (even the long version is a short story):

I had my 39 week appointment and found out I was dilated more than a person walking around should be. Particularly someone on her third pregnancy and with a history of quick exits. I think the doctor's exact words were, "I think I'm seeing how you had a baby at home." We were given marching orders to go straight to the hospital and check in. They'd be expecting me.

The previous few days I had had occasional contractions but nothing to write home about so this was finally getting exciting. Both boys were at school and Grandma would soon be on her way down to help out with them. I didn't feel like I was in "labor" but whatever, it was baby day!

Hospital selfie, why not?

We checked into the hospital and it all went pretty fast from there. The whole process of ejecting this "business day baby" occurred between mid-morning coffee break and afternoon tea.

Mystery Baby R3 turned out to be a little GIRL (!!!) who came out:

• 5 hours after a routine doctor's appointment.
• 4 hours after arriving at the hospital.
• 3 hours after "labor" started.
• Less than 1 hour after that receiving that blessed epidural!

The doctor who broke my water said he'd give me until 2:30 to show progress before starting Pitocin and the baby was born at 2:37. Bam! Showed him! He even had to skip his coffee break so he wouldn't miss it.

That same evening it started snowing and then everything iced over. Our town was placed on curfew the next night so people would stay inside instead of going out and doing dumb things. It was nice and cozy inside our hospital room and we had a great view from the 4th floor.

An unusually snowy backdrop for our first Georgia baby!

Little girl did us a huge favor by arriving on Tuesday 1/16. It was the only day the boys went to school that week, between the MLK holiday and the snowstorm that froze half the state and cancelled school for the next three days. A day later and we likely would've had issues getting my parents here and getting to the hospital.

She met her brothers on her birthday and I'm guessing she recognized the boisterous soundtrack of her womb-life.

Her brothers go back and forth between being sort of into her and not really noticing her.

She's a very chill baby and likes to zen out with her hands up. Both grandmas made quick work of getting her some feminine outfits to compliment her gender-neutral/boyish wardrobe.

Here are a couple of pics from her newborn shoot by jacieshofieldphotography.

Fall in Georgia

I'm using the term "fall" to loosely refer to the final third of the calendar year. Since October, it's really felt like one endless fall with a few cold (and warm!) spots.

Earlier this year, we purchased an annual pass to a nearby-ish resort & gardens and we made good use of it during the not-so-hot months. Our favorite thing to do there is ride bikes.

Three generations on bikes!

Georgia offers endless opportunities for pumpkin patching and we definitely had our share of hay rides, corn mazes, and pumpkin purchasing.

 

Ahh...a Southern autumn...where you can enjoy the fall without fearing the winter.

Halloween was crazy. We live in trick-or-treating central and the running estimate is that our street saw about 2,000 trick-or-treaters this year. We had enough candy because our neighbors started warning us in July. We experienced a similar thing at a nearby area of NY, but attending and hosting such an event are waaaaay different. 

Candy shopping at BJs obviously.

These pictures of Halloween day are pre-craziness because by the time the crowds ramped up my phone was dead and I was handing out candy with both hands. Our neighbors did an amazing job with their decorations and a couple of post-holiday visits to Party City means we'll be in better shape for next year decoration-wise.

We celebrated Small Bear's 2nd Birthday. It was a low-key affair where we ate cake and gave him a T-ball set.

And the bump has continued to grow. This is 26 weeks when I thought I was big vs. 33 weeks where I'm really big.

 

Aaaaand...#youshouldseemenow!

A hidden cost of home ownership is holiday decor! I took this picture on luminary night which happened to fall right after a rare Georgia snowstorm. We made a rookie mistake and got our icicle lights in "cool white" instead of "warm white." One day when they burn out we'll correct that!