The Big Purge

Michele and I had grand plans before Zoe was born. Plans to purge our home of all the excess. Unfortunately, we started to collect the excess and then I was put on bedrest and then Zoe came five weeks early and then and then and then. . . So the excess is half collected and is congregating throughout our home. I woke up the other morning and told Michele that I was suffocating. "Suffocating?" she asked. "Why?" "We have TOO much stuff!" And thus started the big purge.

Now Michele has always been a minimalist, so this purge should have been easy for her and difficult for me, the collector, but it's been really easy and fun for me. The more things I put in the "Thrift store" or "trash" piles, the easier it gets for me to breathe! I love it! It's actually great to send what used to be treasures to me to new homes where they will hopefully be treasures to someone else. The goal, however, is to resist filling up newly emptied spaces with cool new stuff for Zoe. Now that's a challenge!

Zoe's New Throne

Zoe has quickly overcome her premature status and grown very quickly into a sturdy little baby. She's outgrowing her infant carrier/carseat faster than expected. Michele and I weren't quite sure what to do since although in size she's ready for the next carseat, in muscle and head control, she still needs the support of an infant seat. After a lot of research, talking to my sister (big babies run in our family), and talking to Zoe's doctor, we decided on a convertible carseat that will work for Zoe now as a rear-facing seat and can be converted into a forward-facing seat later. More research found the Britax convertible carseats. Zoe's new throne arrived today. It's about the prettiest carseat I've ever seen! What a lucky little person! We'll head over to the fire department this week to get it installed properly and ready to roll!

Researching and finding the best of the best of what this little angel needs feels almost like a full-time job, but it's one that I really enjoy. I love learning all about anything having to do with Zoe!

Happy Quarter-Year Birthday, Baby Girl

Zoe is just the happiest, cuddliest baby. It took us a long time to decide to become moms - Michele and I have been talking about it for our entire relationship - 14 years! I'm sure every parent gets the exact right baby for them - I know Zoe is the exact right baby for us. She just seems like the perfectly shaped puzzle piece fitting right into our family. Or maybe it just feels like that because I can't remember how life felt before Zoe. I don't remember feeling like something was missing, but I now feel peacefully complete. These past three months have been full of change, full of happiness. I can't believe she's three months old already; and yet I can't believe I lived for 36 years without her either.

Dreams

It's funny thinking back (and looking back through my blog posts) about all the dreams I had while pregnant. I really wanted a baby girl and I knew I'd be having a baby girl - I knew it in my bones - but most of my dreams were of a baby boy - and most people who wanted to guess guessed baby boy. Michele and I were excited thinking about our baby and would have loved having a boy, but something inside me just knew that we were going to have Zoe. After that last push and our little one was out, I actually forgot to ask the sex! Michele, though, didn't hesitate to proudly announce "She's a girl! Zoe's here!" What an amazing moment! The moment Zoe came out to play!

A New Beginning

Day 1

It's crazy to think that my last post was in October. Even crazier to know that I'm writing this post with a sleeping baby in my arms. Our daughter was born five weeks early on December 7th and my life has completely changed since that event. Zoe Lorraine burst into this world at 7 pounds 3 oz and 20 inches long just anxious to meet her moms and make us the happiest women in the world!


Month 1



It's amazing to me how in one minute with one event everything changes. Even things that still exist, like my relationship with Michele, my love of reading and sewing and chocolate, my wonderful family and friends, are different. Everything is filtered through Zoe: Michele and I aren't just a loving couple, we're parents; I ravenously consume books on child care and development and children's books, plan quilts for Zoe and other projects that will make my life as a mom easier, and limit my chocolate consumption because, as a breastfeeding mom, I want Zoe to get only the best from me; and our family relationships and friendships all seem to center around Zoe: "Oh won't it be fun taking Zoe to meet Casey," "Aunt Kym is coming to meet Zoe," and "Zoe do you hear Nana on the phone? Say 'hi!'"

Month 2



I absolutely love it all. Everything is new and exciting. Things that were routine and maybe a bit boring are new challenges with Zoe. A trip to the grocery store used to be "Let me stop at Wegman's real quick for cheese" and is now "Okay, I have my list; Zoe's fed, so she'll probably sleep; do I have her sling to tote her around the store?; I'd better get cheese, it's not on the list, but I won't be able to get back out here this week, so I'd better get some just in case; Oh, there's Rita, she'll want to see Zoe before we leave; Zoe slept through shopping, but is awake the minute we get to the register, maybe if I bounce up and down she'll be okay until we get to the car; ok, we made it out of the store, but I'd better climb in the backseat and nurse before heading home(although we live 5 minutes away) so that we can make it home peacefully and I'll be able to get the bags in the house and the perishibles put away. . ." Grocery shopping is now a weekly adventure that I enjoy each time!



I just had no idea how completely this little girl would change my life and my outlook on the world. I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be a mom to this special little person! Hopefully, I'll be posting here often to share my new adventures as a mom, partner, quilter, gardener, vegetarian, daughter, friend, sister, and whatever other title this new beginning bring me!