At the beginning of this month we moved into our new home in the Kerns neighborhood. Moving takes so much out of me, and its not like I really had any extra to spare. Leaving our old place was really difficult, more than I expected. It wasn't until I was scrubbing the counters on our last day that I recalled all of our family's firsts. Stephen got a job with Farmer's Insurance. Abby learned how to walk. We brought a 5 week puppy home on Mother's day. Rachel was added to our family. We got our first Christmas tree and had our first Christmas at home. And I got laid off. It has been a lot to process. Its strange that so many happy memories can make me cry so much. I guess I felt like I was increasing the distance of those memories by leaving.
This month also brought my birthday. My 26th birthday. Everyone says I am young, and in their perspective, I am. But to me, I always thought 25 was old, and 26 is officially beyond that. I am now closer to 30 than I am to 20... I am not disappointed with where I am in life, but I don't think anyone is ever prepared for where they find themselves, especially a milestone. I am so far removed from the days of carefree spontaneity. Now, I literally have to wrestle to keep a daily routine, for that is where I find sanity. Who would have thought that a curfew would be so loved and embraced?
My girls have also made leaps developmentally. Abby is repeating everything, as if she was finding inspiration from a parrot. Her attempts at some words are pure comedy. She can't say "shirt," "frog," or "beach" properly. They all sound like the words on a PG-13 movie. However, she can perfectly pronounce "medicine." Go figure. Rachel is mobile. Army crawling at dangerous speeds. She is more effective at swiffering the floor with her belly than I am. Nothing like a crying infant to remind you of how insufficient your housekeeping is. Rachel has also gotten her first tooth. If you have ever been in the presence of a teething baby, I don't even need to explain. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, its bad. Real bad. Comparable to the tantrums thrown by adolescents.
Like I said, a very long month. I am actually relieved that its over. It would be nice if my house was unpacked, but I will settle for it being functional. My pace for unpacking has reached the ultimate low. It only gets unpacked if I need it. At least the house is safe enough for the endless hours of exploring by Abby and Rae. I just want my head to be clear. But honestly, I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon, at least not till all the boxes are gone.
Here's hoping my anniversary doesn't get lost in the madness of April.
