We have had such a fun, memorable summer! I can’t even begin to believe that it’s Labor Day weekend already. Right now we are preparing to have yet another new normal, and this one we are expecting to stick. Our new normal will be our new reality now that Alex is headed back to work on Tuesday and then I’ll follow him two weeks later. While it will be sad to not have so much time at home together, both of us love our jobs and we’re looking forward to a somewhat consistent schedule.
Our summer started with the birth of Benjamin the day after Memorial Day {the unofficial start to summer 😉 } and then Alex went back to work while I spent my days in the NICU. We enjoyed a few summer moments during that time, but mostly were in survival mode.
Alex’s parents and my mom got to meet Ben soon after he was born.
Once Ben came home the tables turned {as did the weather!} and we really got to enjoy ourselves again as we adjusted to life with a newborn.
His first few weeks home we were in absolute bliss – we went for walks every day, we took Ben out to restaurants and wineries and hardly missed a beat!
My dad came out to meet Ben in mid-July. We kept things pretty low-key and close to home, but we still managed to get out to Bottlehouse, go for a walk around Seward Park and cruise through the farmer’s market.
Throughout the summer Ben’s development has really started to change and grow. It has been so fun watching him figure things out!
The month of August was spent with Alex’s parents, as well as his sister, who joined us all in mid-August.
We also took a trip to Lake Chelan to close out their visit.
Just last weekend my brother and his girlfriend, Becky, came out to meet Ben and hang out in Seattle. I hadn’t met Becky yet, so it was great to finally get that chance.
Since early July we have been interviewing design/build firms to select one to lead us down a very long road of a major renovation in our house. It has taken a surprising amount of time to research companies, figure out what we want and then meet with them. We’re awaiting our final proposal from one of the companies and then I guess the next step is to choose one {oh, and figure out how we will pay for it!}.
Another summer project that kept us busy was hiring a nanny. After refining our scope we finally found a nanny who we think is a great fit for our family. She’ll be starting the week after Alex goes back to work. I’ll still be off that week but I’ll be able to spend time with her and show her the ropes before I go back the week after. I will be working part-time – about 24 hours per week, mainly spread out over three days, and primarily from home.
We have had such a fabulous summer together as a family and are so grateful for the time and memories we had. Life is going to look a little bit different now with us going back to work, so there will be some major adjustments, certainly, but we are looking forward to getting back to reality!
