We just got back from a fun (though exhausting) vacation to Double JJ Ranch in the Muskegon, Michigan area.  Traveling with a 2 and 4 year old can be interesting … and adding an old cabin with a 70 degree stair incline makes it even MORE interesting.  Well, we couldn’t take it anymore on night #3, so we decided to switch to a comfy family suite instead.  Call us spoiled, we don’t care.  Oh boy, what did we do at Double JJ?  Well, we arrived, and the kids saw the indoor waterpark, so really … that’s all we could’ve done, and they would’ve been happy…

But … with a little help, we convinced them of some other things we could do for fun!

Can anyone say homemade marshmallow gun shoot out?  Interesting lesson in physics (and hygiene…)

Even 2 year old can go horseback riding!

4 year olds too.

Everyone is exhausted after cookie crafts, too much sugar, horses, petting farm, lunches out at interesting small town places, sandy play grounds, marshmallow shoot outs, cowboy shows, dress-up, waterpark play, coffee house trips (for mom and dad), and did I say sugar … which hits hard on a Paleo family!

A few words to describe our vacation:

Exhausting  

Tantrums

Interesting

Dirty (my feet are still yelling at me)

Fun

Comical

Very “WTF”-ish for a “city” family hanging out in the country…not to mention the all-day country music blaring from the speakers.

Exhausting

Painful (think heartburn and morning sickness for mommy!)

Endearing

Once-in a lifetime (cuz we AIN’T doin’ this again!)  ;)  But, I SO would.

Of all the things we could’ve done, we chose this — Quen is VERY into cowboys at the moment, and he relished in the ranch life.  It was fun while it lasted … but I think even he was a little worn out on it by day #3.  We were definitely ready to come home and be in our cozy unschooling haven.  In about a week or two, we will start seeing the big yellow bus every morning and every afternoon … and we are so happy that seeing it is all we will have to do!  This vacation was our kick-off celebration for a happy year of NO SCHOOL!  I hope our days will be filled with adventures just like this one — all year round.

Today will be a little more “normal”.  A little more routine.  A trip to our favorite coffee shop to horse around (no pun intended), games and books, and maybe a little treat.  Groceries.  Bake some banana bread.  Playing at home with our favorite toys.  I think everyone missed home.  It’s good to be back!

So.  I have made it through the rough patch.  That first, initial “OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE!” feeling you might go through as a first-time home educating (for the sake of this article, I will call it “unschooling”) mom.  The panic…it’s gone.  Even when people ask, “where is Quen going to start school next year”, I don’t freak out. Weeks upon weeks of second guessing myself and wondering, “is this right for us?”  I have finally fallen onto the wagon of trust.  I trust.  I trust that my kids are going to learn what they need to learn when they need to learn it.  I will guide them.  I will be their facilitator, their cab driver, their suggestion box, their friend…and yes, their mom.

With baby #3 on the way, my hormones have been all over the place (but have forced me to spend a lot of time in ONE place, namely…the couch).  The kids have learned some life lessons through Ninjago and The Berenstain Bears, but mostly I have learned that they tire of TV after too long and start to get creative when I just leave them the heck alone.  That is learned by default, because before I was ALWAYS up in their business saying things like “what can we do now? Can I help you find something to do?  What are you doing?”  I was always so worried about what, when, why and how they were doing anything.  God, I was stifling them.  The all-day pregnancy sickness has taught me (by default) that giving my children the freedom to just “be” is how they learn creativity. I was so worried that my kids would hate art, coloring, books, etc., but since I’ve “left them alone” more, they’ve gravitated toward these things.  Or, they simply play make-believe games, and best of all…they are playing with each other.  Do they argue?  Heck yes, but they also love each other’s company when they think no one is watching.

So, after all the disapproving nods from disapproving friends and neighbors, I am again comfortable with our decision to unschool our kids.  I am more certain than ever, that is it the right decision….for us.  This is what we want for our kids, and I am excited about our journey.

Soon I’ll be starting a “Day in the Life of the Youst House” section, so that you can all see what a day/week/month in the life of an unschooler looks like.  I will also add some of my topics of research, so you can see the things I explore as my kids play…the learning never stops for any of us, especially me.  I am also happy to make recommendations for things, as we try them.  The one thing I love about this lifestyle is the freedom it gives us to try new things (or not)…if we want to try a curriculum for fun, we will.  If not, that’s ok too.  I’m thinking of trying Timberdoodle  just for another “thing” to do, but we’ll wait until fall for that.

Here’s a glimpse of what that might look like:

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE YOUST HOUSE

Places we’ve gone / are going:

• Outside time – we ride bikes & explore outside almost every day, rain or shine, we learned about bees, leaves, flowers, rocks & more just from our own yard, and then the Internet.  Sometimes we bike to the park and play.
• Michigan Adventure (rides & waterpark); State of Michigan beach (beautiful!)
• Heritage Park (splash park & playground, picnic – met up with other unschoolers)
• A trip to Grammy’s house in Ohio — she has a big backyard, lots of fun things to do & see…they get to see where mommy grew up.
• Ethnic lunch at Mexican restaurant — hard with 2 under the age of 4, but we do it anyway.
• We also run errands a lot and hit up the public library at least once a week for new DVD’s and books…oh, we play puppets and trains while we’re there too.
• Doctor visit — piled up 7 bean bag chairs and made a make-shift bouncy house while waiting for about an hour in the waiting room.  Things got creative.  Some adults were less than enthused.  Oh well, we had fun!

NEW MATERIALS

• New piano (I won’t lie, I’m VERY excited about this one…) & Alfred books
• BOB Books (pre-reader & Level 1 – Quen’s read a couple of the 1st books)
• ABC Mouse.com game
• iPad games:  Design rollercoasters, Angry Birds, a variety of puzzle, ABC & Number games
• Angry Birds board game
• Ninjago lego characters & lego set

CONSIDERING

• Timberdoodle Curriculum (just for fun, of course)
• Kinderbach (iPad app to teach piano lessons)

RESEARCHING (Mom-zone only)

• Gentle Parenting (e.g. reading Alfie Kohn, Naomi Aldort, there are so many great authors on this subject now)
• GMO’s / Organic food — affects on human body — we switched over to a primal/Paleo diet (mostly anyway…)
• Life Purpose (this is always ongoing with me…I just like the philosophy of it)
• Meditation – this is something I strive to do, but never can…

This is just a glimpse of how we spend our time.  Some days we do next to nothing, but other days we are productive as all get-out…I love those days.  But, I also love the days where we cuddle on the couch and read an endless array of books and then jump all over each other…laughing all the way.

More in the life of the Youst House coming soon.

So, I said the dirty word:  DOUBTS.  This early in the game I suppose it’s normal to have doubts about the unschooling life and the effectiveness of loose limits and total attachment parenting.  Here’s the thing…I don’t doubt it’s effectiveness.  Not at all.  I SEE other families flourishing in this lifestyle.  What I’m doubting right now are my own abilities, limitations and patience levels.  Having been raised in an authoritarian parenting paradigm myself, I find myself grasping for those familiar threads of empty threats and voice raising when I get confused about what I should be doing instead.  Attachment parenting may seem very easy and natural for someone who already has that personality type (or has been doing it for years), or someone who was also raised in that type of environment, but lately I have started to see that this is going to be work for me.  It’s definitely easier to put your child in time out than try and come up with a solution that works for everyone.  It’s easier to give a consequence to a child that hits than comforting the one who’s been hit while coming up with creative distractions for the one who’s doing the hitting.  Anyone who ever called attachment parenting and unschooling “lazy parenting” has never tried it themselves.  It’s hard and wonderful all at the same time.

I can see, now, that authoritarian parenting styles (even something as simple as a time-out) IS to the benefit of the adult, not the child.  Everything we do in this culture is to make our lives easier, and yes…it stifles our children.  After just a few weeks of this new approach (and it’s even been a poor example of attachment parenting as I’m still learning as I go), my kids seem brighter…more active…happier.  HAPPY.  Yes, they still have tantrums (probably more so), but they are ALIVE!  They are fighting for what they believe in, even if what they believe in is something as simple as sitting in the other car seat or having another baggie of Annie’s fruit snacks.  I still cannot get over the look of disbelief when I tell my son, “sure, go get a bag!”  He is searching my eyes for a “no”, but he won’t find it.  Inside, of course, I am saying, “another bag, really?  You’re going to be up all night!”  That is the part of me that hasn’t totally given in yet, but until I get there, I will go through the actions.  I will fake it until I make it.

It’s funny, I have met up several times with other unschooling folks, and they are all wonderful.  They’ve been giving us the support we need to continue along this beautiful path.  I have to admit, I never thought this would be so much work.  I never thought I’d be MORE tired at the end of the day, although I do think some of it has to do with learning to balance all of our needs, not just the kids.  I haven’t touched my quilt in weeks.  :(  I have found that getting up really early in the morning helps.  It gives me the time I need to do things I enjoy (reading, writing and exercising).  This will be adequate until the day we bring in more little ones and then the sleepless nights will begin again…LOL.  I do love life — the good, the bad and the ugly.  I have realized that this life is all about creative solutions.  We will never be totally limit-free, but we will be close.

Also, some things are just dangerous.  This is one area that’s very gray to me … when it comes to my childrens’ safety (and this happens often with a 1.5 year old), I have to intervene.  If I see something about to happen that will prevent a big bump or worse, I will step in.  There are just some things I cannot let go of.  Although, I do also realize that this is not necessarily “against the rules” of unschooling — protecting our kids is always a priority, unschooling or not.  But, it’s easy when you are new to this lifestyle, to know exactly WHEN to intervene and when to let something go.  For now, I err on the side of caution.

There are times, especially lately when I’m grasping for those threads of familiarity, that I feel like a fraud.  I am faking a lot of it right now, but at the same time I have learned that not every unschooling family looks the same.  Whereas one might be into raising chickens, another might be into going to see a cool movie together as a family, or traveling to a big city, or camping, or starting a website or blog together…the possibilities are endless, we are all so different, and that’s so refreshing.  We love to imagine and play dress up, read, go to the library, watch fun shows or movies, get messy with art and oobleck, organize stuff (yes, even my 3 year old), take day trips to new places, grocery shop at health food stores as a family, have friends and family over, observe people out and about, be active and play, play, play.  That is what we spend our days doing.  I’m sure as we grow as a family, our interests will wax and wane, and I’m excited about it (albeit a little tired thinking about it…).  My energy these days seems pretty sapped, but I try as best I can to keep up with these guys, after all, this is my job.

I just want to say thank you to those of you who have helped guide me through this transition period.  Support is key.  If anyone else ever goes through this, talking to others that you can actually meet up with and see face to face is so helpful.  Seeing how happy they are and how free their kids are is all I need to continue along this path…and making a few friends in the process is icing on the cake!

Foible #2:  Choosing a king-size quilt as my first machine quilt.  Ahem…anyone that knows anything about sewing machines (especially small HOME sewing machines) would never have made this decision.  Quilting the middle of this thing is equivalent to stuffing a down comforter into a shoebox.  Not easy and yeah, kind of frustrating.  Not to mention, I knew nothing about sewing machines before all this either — it took me two hours to thread the damn thing the first time I used it.

Foible #3:  Choosing an art form that takes an exorbitant amount of time.  I have two small kids (two under the age of 3).  Ok, so sitting at my sewing machine in a room far, far away from civilization is not ideal.  All right, you say, “put that machine right where your kids are and work while they play!”  Slow down Tonto, I can’t do that for many reasons, one being the amount of dangerous supplies I need at hand at any given time during the process:  scissors, straight pins, safety pins, multiple stabbing-like objects necessary for the craft of quilting and sewing.  Quilting is the Freddy Krueger of all art forms.  Another reason being Murphy’s Law:  If a quilt lies upon a table, needle in the fabric during “downtime”, someone will tug on it and possibly pull the machine off the table, along with screwing up my process of where I’m at in the quilt, etc.  That is reason enough, but there are so many more…

I could go on and on with the foibles of choosing quilting as my new passion, but instead, I’d like to focus on why I chose it, in a more positive light (yes, I do have the ability to be positive at times):

1.  It’s fun.  Oh my gosh, sewing can be fun?  Yes, it can, and it is.  So there.

2.  It’s relaxing.  When I DO happen to get a half hour or so of sewing lines, cutting squares or piecing blocks, I get in the “zone” and time flies.  I feel whole afterwards, like I just got closer to creating something tangible and useful.  Something that will be used with love.  The “zone” is the best, and I can’t remember ever feeling it, other than when I am organizing something.

3.  It just feels right.  It’s one of the only things I’ve always wanted do that I actually got the balls to just DO.  I taught myself using YouTube videos and books from the library. It can be done without a quilting bee or growing up with a grandma that did it (although I WISH I had!)

4.  It’s something positive and crafty that my kids see me doing…they will know I persevered and taught myself something, and that they too can do anything they want to do.  If mom can do it, they can DEFINITELY do it (or whatever they choose to do.)

I could go on and on…but I won’t.  I want to go do some quilting before the kids get up.  Pictures will follow soon, so you can see the progress of the first machine quilt, which I am endearingly naming:  THE HEALING QUILT.  More on this later.  Ciao!

P.S.  Ok, I spent too much time writing…now the kids are up, so quilting has to wait until later…boo!

Oh how I long for the day where I don’t have to choose between a journal entry, scooping dog poop or taking a hot bath!  I can’t believe that I used to have hours on end of free time to do as I please, and I usually ended up wasting it anyway.  The things we don’t know before we have kids…the time we have but don’t even realize it.  However, my time now is better spent shaping humans of the future, so although I may stink and have a dumpy backyard, at least I am now contributing to society in a meaningful way.  Let’s just hope the kids turn out okay, or I’m royally screwed.

So, here’s the latest in why I’m the Worst Mom Ever:

1.)   I let Quen watch ridiculous amounts of computer “TV”.  My thinking is if it’s some type of mini-episode of something on the computer, it’s not actual TV.  It’s educational, so it’s ok.

2.)   Quen was playing with these hard plastic balls that go with a little Weeble house…they are very hard and not heavy, but they are not light either…well, he tossed one into the air, and all I heard was the sick “thud”…the ball plopped right on top of sissy’s head…it was probably on her soft spot that may or may not have closed up by now.  Hopefully this doesn’t cause long-term damage…

3.)   Now that sissy doesn’t cry ALL the time, I put her in her Exersaucer to “play” more often than I probably should.  I’m sorry, but four months of continuous holding and/or babywearing is enough sister…go play or something.

Love and hugs and all that good stuff.  I love all my royal pains in the butt that I call my family.  More “worst mom” stuff later…

I guess it took me this long to attempt the binky-weaning project because there is nothing that I can think of that gives him the same sheer pleasure of seeing and grabbing his binky before a nap or bedtime.  We jokingly call his binky “crack” because it seems like his addiction to it is not only severe and utterly enjoyable, it also seems necessary … necessary for sleep and necessary for complete happiness.  Now that binky will slowly be shrinking and soon be gone, what will replace this?  Is this where we parents go wrong and create addictive personalities in our children, or is this all just a part of the painful, inevitable parenting process?  I’m not sure — although I do think it’s the latter —  but can I just give a big “this sucks”?  This sucks.  Poor little guy.

I guess the most annoying part of the situation is that his daddy is probably going to end up being right … “give it time”, he says, “it’ll be fine by Monday, guaranteed.” So, in some ways, I hope it isn’t for the sake of being right, but I have a daunting feeling that I’m not lucky enough to be right. But then again, I do want the little guy to be happy, so giving up being right seems a small price to pay.

I guess I better go check on him and put phony binky back in his mouth and reassure him that the world is good and everything really will be ok.

There was a time not so long ago, just a few years actually, that if something happened that was “outside of my box” of life expectations and experiences, I would freak out.  It didn’t have to be something too crazy … let’s just say I got a speeding ticket or missed a workout … it was out of the ordinary for me and threw my life into a frenzy.  How would I pay for the ticket when I had already allotted my money for the month?  How would I function without my scheduled workout?  

I can’t believe how much I stifled myself.  And, I do still catch myself doing it from time to time.  The rational side of me realizes that the world will not, in fact, coming crashing down if I don’t jump rope for thirty minutes.  Quen will still love me if I get frustrated about changing his diaper while he’s a wiggle worm.  I will not gain twenty pounds overnight if I miss a workout … or three.  Earthquakes will not happen if we order carryout instead of cooking dinner, even though we have all the ingredients necessary to make the perfect meal.  But there is still that nagging irrational side of me that swears up and down that the world will stop if I do something different.  

I work on stepping outside of my “little boxes” every day, although it is really an uphill battle for someone that color codes her closet and has always organized life into specific categories.  Sometimes being human really cramps my style, but I guess that is what makes the journey interesting.  Realizing it helps me focus on teaching my son that life is messy … not perfect — but the real challenge is believing and living my own advice.  I think I’ll break my mold for today and go take a nap.

I guess the best things in life are those that we never expect.  I never expected a tiny baby to change me from the inside-out.  I never expected to fall in love with a little person — I never liked babies much, but now there is no one I like more (well, that’s not entirely true, I like dad just as much!) I never expected that losing more and more sleep every night would be so worth it.  But it is.  Just seeing his face, his chubby little fingers and toes and his hand that lies on my chest as he nurses makes me appreciate everything around me so much more than I ever did before.  Whenever I feel like things are hard and monotonous, I remember how lucky we are to have a healthy, happy baby.  The journey is so much easier to enjoy than it was before.  I now see what life is all about.  At least some of it anyway …

Of course, I don’t have it all figured out, but I have some of it figured out.  And “some” is enough for me. 

Well, there’s a laugh!  It just does, doesn’t it?  And those of you who are already parents probably know exactly what I mean.  I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments about raising a “minimalist” baby.  I think it’s completely possible, but I want to hear feedback from the clutter-ridden to the absolutely minimalistic.  Although we are not total minimalists, we thrive on having a simple household — I truly believe there is a happy medium in which we buy and keep things that we love, use or need.  And that’s it.  If anything doesn’t fit into one of those three categories, it goes to charity, the recycle bin or — as a last resort — the garbage.

Here are 10 useful tips (I’ve found) on preparing for your first newborn: 

1.  Wait until after the baby shower to buy.  So far, we’ve had a baby shower and we received many items that we will definitely use (products and such).  My suggestion is to not buy anything such as baby shampoos, soaps, wipes and diapers until after your baby shower.  People will most likely buy these things for you.  You will also receive gift cards, and these will come in handy to buy the things you still need after the shower is over.

2.  Definitely have a baby shower for your first baby.  Even if you only invite a few people, a baby shower is a time not only to receive special gifts and wishes from people you care about, it’s a time to celebrate the new family member that will soon enter your lives.

3.  Keep your baby shower simple.  Forget center pieces.  Forget renting a hall or restaurant space.  Invite people that are closest to you.  Have it in your home if at all possible.  Order catering (so you don’t have to cook/prepare food).  Obtain the help of a friend or parent to help you clean the day before.  Enlist another friend to help with handwritten or computer generated invitations and keeping things organized on shower day.  People understand that you are close to giving birth, and they will not expect you to be the hostess of the year for your shower.  Sometimes it’s easy to forget how sympathetic others are — there is no need to pull off the “perfect” shower — just have fun, open gifts and enjoy your guests.

4.  Do not feel like you have to use the “must-have” newborn checklists on mega baby store websites.  These lists are designed to get you to buy as much stuff as possible.  From the layette to toys to bottles to strollers, it can all be very overwhelming.  The best things I did to see what I absolutely needed was to 1.) ask friends that already have babies what they absolutely needed and what they could do without and 2.) read the book Baby Bargains – it answers so many questions for first time parents and tells you what you absolutely need and what you do not.  You can get it used or new from Amazon.com, or borrow a copy from a friend.  Even if you don’t have the newest version, you’ll still benefit from reading it.

5.  Get creative and stay simple when decorating your baby’s nursery.  Why must we paint the baby’s nursery pale pink or blue and buy all the fancy “trimmings” like quilts that can’t even be used in the crib anyway?  Let me be the one to tell you … the baby does not care what his or her nursery looks like.  He will not remember.  Do you remember your baby nursery?  Buy or use furniture that will grow with the child instead of baby-looking furniture like white or pale wood.  I think it’s important for a child to love his own space once he’s old enough to appreciate and remember it — it’s something you can do together once he’s old enough.  But, as for an infant, do what doesn’t require 1.) a lot of work, 2.) a lot of paint, and 3.) a lot of “fuss” (too many stuffed animals, blankets, toys, etc.)  Simplicity starts from the very beginning, and if you want to instill that mindset into your child, you must start from day one so things don’t start accumulating.

6.  Breastfeed if you can.  This eliminates the need for extra bottles, nipples, formula, bottle warmers (which don’t work well anyway and aren’t recommended even for formula) and burp rags (your baby will spit up less with breast milk).  Breastfeeding is the best possible food for your baby — not only that, but it’s also the simplest!  You can go anywhere and always have food “on hand” (or “on breast” … however you want to look at it!)  Don’t give up early if you feel you just can’t do it … keep trying, and your baby will thank you in more ways than one. 

7.  Don’t feel bad buying second-hand clothing or accepting hand-me-downs from friends and family.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with using second hand clothes for babies.  Think about it — babies outgrow their clothes about every three months until they are in school.  Why would we buy all new clothes everytime they have a growing spurt?  The great thing about this is, used clothes clean up like new with some fragrance free detergent and fabric softener.  No one will ever know but you … and maybe your “baby” when he becomes a teenager!

8.  Buy or use products that “transition” into something else.  Some examples of this include:  cribs that transition into toddler and then full-size beds, carseats that can be used as carriers and also insert into your stroller, carseats that transition into bigger carseats (so you don’t have to keep buying new ones), pack ‘n plays that can be used as a bassinet, changing table and playpen.  These products will last longer and transition with your baby as he grows older.

9.  Create your own list of baby needs and wants.  Start from scratch with a list of things you think you may need or want with a new baby, and then think of places or people that you can get these things from without buying them (or getting them dirt cheap … ebay is a great start!)  Stick to your guns when people try to tell you you need something when you clearly know you don’t.  Chances are, you won’t.  You definitely need the basics when taking care of a baby, but the “frills” are for the parents sake only — not the baby’s — you just don’t need all that extra stuff.  Truly think about what will make your life easier for you and your child during those first few months, and that’s it.

10.  Simplify your own home.  This entire website is about simplifying your life.  If you haven’t taken action to simplify your own life before this new life comes into your life, now is as good a time as any.  You may have that nesting instinct kicking in, so take advantage of it, and perhaps enlist the help of a spouse or friend to go through your home (little by little) getting rid of things that no longer serve your new life.  I promise you, once you get on this “kick”, it will carry over into your life as a new parent, and you’ll want to keep things simple even with your new little one.

I hope this list helps you get started and takes away some of the overwhelming feelings that come along with being a first time parent.  You really don’t need all the stuff that stores and even well-meaning friends and family press upon you.  Be who you are, stick to what you believe and continue your minimalist-like lifestyle, even with a new baby in the mix.

So … as many of you already know … we are having a BOY!  Chris and I are both so excited because (deep down) it is what we both REALLY wanted.  Yes, a girl would be just as loved, but there’s something about getting your wish that makes it all the better.

The past few weeks have been the craziest in my life, perhaps.  Chris proposed about 2 weeks ago at our favorite restaurant with 6 of our fabulous friends present.  They held up a huge sign that said, “WILL YOU MARRY ME?”, and when I turned around, there was Chris holding the ring box with the most beautiful princess-cut diamond I have ever seen.  It honestly is, and I couldn’t have done a better job picking out a ring myself … the best part is we never went and looked at rings together or anything — he did it strictly from his heart, and that is part of what made it so special.  We have joked on an off about marriage, especially since I’ve been pregnant, but never in a million years did I expect it to happen now.  I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with my two boys.

So what has this little tike in my belly been up to lately?  Well, he’s active as heck.  He seems to do somersaults especially after I eat “worldly” foods like Mideastern Veggie Gallahba or Mexican.  The spices seem to set him off into a frenzy of acrobatics that can be seen from the outside of my stomach.  It’s very alien-like & creepy for a first-time mom, but it makes me smile inside everytime it happens.  It’s not a sweet “butterfly” sensation like I’ve read about in the pregnancy books — it’s like an annoying little kid tap-tap-tapping on my belly from the inside, wanting to be noticed.  Don’t worry, little one, you are noticed.  Another way to explain it would be like a muscle twitch, but stronger … and not regular — the movements are very sporadic, and sometimes I find myself sitting there for long periods of time watching and waiting for it to happen again.  Already my adult passtimes have turned into something far less educational — but it’s far more fun & meaningful than any book I have ever read.

So far, this experience of being pregnant has changed me.  I stare at and rub my belly in disbelief when I’m alone.  Sometimes when I catch a glimpse of my newly round profile in a reflective surface, it reminds me that my life will be forever changed in less than 4 short months.  Already, we sit and talk about how things will be different, but I know we cannot truly know how different that is until we get there and are amidst dirty diapers, feedings and night-time cries.  But like everything else worthwhile in life — it’s worth waiting for, and it’s worth the work and self-sacrifice because of the meaning, love & life experience that will come with it.

 We can’t wait to meet you little guy.