Back. After a long hiatus.

It has been a long time since I have written here. My life has changed so drastically that I don't even know where to begin. So I think I will skip all of it and just say that I now have a baby, a darling 7 month old boy named E, work full-time, and yes, my husband is still working away at his PhD.
What inspired me to start blogging again was some "day in the life posts" that I was reading. As a new mother I find myself constantly wondering about the schedules and day to day lives of other moms. Is it normal for a baby to nap 4 times a day? What time do babies usually wake up in the morning? How do other moms incorporate exercise back into their lives? All this and more. Believe me, much more. So I thought I would do a little day in the life post for myself. Just for fun and because I think that they are interesting :) I will do yesterday, because it was pretty typical.

4:30am - Hear E fussing in his crib. I try my hardest not to feed him his first bottle until as close to 6am as can so I go into his room and rock him back to sleep. Today it is successful. It isn't always.

6-7am - My alarm goes off and I have just enough time to start the coffee and wash my face before E  decides it is time for breakfast. After his bottle I like to give him some fruit and cereal and he likes to eat/chew maniacally on the spoon. I also use this time to eat, feed the cat, make lunch, prepare bottles and feed him bites in between.

7-7:30am - I get myself dressed and ready while the hubs entertains E. Then we get E dressed in an extremely adorable outfit that we spend too much time picking out.

8am - After dropping E off at daycare I get to the office and then work until around 4pm.

4:15pm - Leave the office and go pick up E. This is definitely the best part of my day. I always get so excited to see him on the drive and the ten minutes it takes to get there stretches on and on.

4:30-5pm - Arrive at daycare to discover E wearing a completely different outfit. This happens rather often. Find out that he has been wearing the new outfit since 8 am. Spend too long chatting with the daycare teachers. They always seem a little starved for grown up conversation and honestly they are the only ones I know who are just as excited to talk about how much E is eating/sleeping/talking/pooping as I am.

5-6pm - Drive home, E chatters away telling me about his day. I get home and try to put E down for a nap. This just results in 10-15 minutes of him sobbing in his crib until I finally crack and put him in his exersaucer. Hubs attempts to entertain him while I wash bottles, clean up the kitchen and make dinner.

6-6:30pm - E starts getting fussy and that is when I know it is time for some sort of solid food. Tonight it is squash, which is a favorite. Hubs and I eat while I feed E dinner and then as soon as we are all done we head out for a walk.

6:30-7pm - This comes in as a close second for favorite part of the day. We recently moved to a new part of town which has a creek running through it. So, on our walks we often see deer and other animals wandering around and it is such a wonderful thing. After growing up in an extremely urban setting, seeing deer in our backyard is just magical.

7-8pm - Bedtime routine. Hubs and I both have specific tasks for E's bath and bedtime and so far it has worked out brilliantly. After his bath hubs feeds E and I get random stuff done around the house. After his bottle E stays awake for a few minutes in his swing then we say a prayer, put him in his crib and kiss him goodnight. E sings and plays with his feet for a while before falling asleep. We just recently sleep trained him and it has been amazing to be able to just put him down and then go on with the evening.

8-10pm - I clean the kitchen, making lunch for the next day, taking a shower (because if I don't I know it won't happen in the morning), and watch a show with the hubs. Then I go to bed and cross my fingers that E sleeps through the night.

That is my typical day. Was that boring? Don't tell me if it was. I promise to only do a "day in the life" this one time. You can look forward to my next post being all about E and the wonders of him.

2013

Today is the first day of 2013 and, like thousands of other across the world, my thoughts turn to new years resolutions. For as long as I can remember I have made resolutions at the beginning of the year. Usually lose weight, eat healthier, and exercise regularly are at the top of the list. I often even set out an exercise routine that I plan to follow. (Which I stick to for about 3 days). This year I would like to add blogging more often to that list. I started this blog at a point in my life where I really felt like I needed a way to process what was happening in my life. I don't feel like I need that as much anymore, but I would like to continue regardless.
We shall see!
Last night was lovely. My husband and I rang in the new year with waffles, mimosas, and movies. It was very relaxed and at midnight we tromped outside into the snow and each threw 12 pennies over our shoulders into the street. This is a Puerto Rican tradition that my husbands step mom brought into his family. I think that is one tradition that we are going to continue with in our little family. You are also supposed to eat 12 grapes, but I forgot to buy them :/. Overall it was an incredibly nice evening.
This holiday season has been lovely and I can't believe it is over! I had been looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas for months and now they are done. :(  But, I am actually looking forward to real life starting again. Even though I only took off 5 days of work spread out over 2 weeks I feel very relaxed and dare I say it...a little board? Well, maybe not board. More like lazy and ready for some routine. It is a little depressing though thinking that I won't have another vacation for a while. Also, January, February, and March are rather depressing in Pennsylvania. It is cold and dreary and snows on and off, which I really don't like. I am not a cold weather gal. Driving in snow is very stressful for me and I have to say I get a lot of anxiety over it. Fingers crossed that this isn't a very snowy winter!
Well, I wish all of you reading a happy new year and my hope is that I will write more often.

Changes

This past month has been a flurry of activity. It has left my husband and I exhausted, but unfortunately instead of having time to recover we are both thrust into situations that are the opposite of rest. My husband started his third year of grad school today and I started a new full-time job. Both of these are wonderful things and I am so thankful to have this new job, but starting a new job is always overwhelming and I feel like I am coming into it empty and burned out. Looking and my bleary eyed husband across this small round table at Starbucks, I think he feels the same way about this new semester.
Let me bring (all 3 of you) up to date....
In the beginning of August we were called by our landlord and asked to move in two days, instead of the next week, which was what was originally planned. This meant that we had to pack up our apartment, find people to help us, and move in a frantic rush. I'm glad that we were able to just get it done, but it was physically tiring to say the least!
Then, just a couple days later, I was called in to interview for a new job. I got the job! But only had two weeks before I needed to start. So, I spent two weeks trying to wrap up my old job, find a replacement, and then train her.
I started my new job last Wednesday and after three days of training was on my own for the first day today. I am so happy to be working at this job and I think it is going to be fantastic, but sort of feel like I am floundering at the moment. Where do I even begin? There are many aspects of this job that make me uncomfortable, ex. calling people I have never met to discuss their children, or driving places I have never been with strangers who I am responsible for. But, since I have experienced these things before I know that they will challenge me and I will grow from them. I am just trying not to think about it right now...
On the bright (er) side. We finally got a kitty! We got her from a animal shelter, so she is rather skittish. I think she was a stray. So far she has spent the past two days either in a crate or in a closet. I think she sneaks around at night, so that is good. We are really hoping that she warms up soon :/
It is nice to have something soft and purring around however and she is very sweet.
We shall see!

Soon

I have been thinking quite a bit about our upcoming move. I have to say what I really want to do is buy a bunch of new furniture and art and lamps and little decorative items. Alas, with our meager budget that isn't exactly affordable. I wish I was one of those people who loved to hunt around in thrift stores, but I hate to say that I am more of a Target shopper. Maybe I can change?
What is exciting is that we will have so much more room to play around with. I haven't bought anything for our apartment in a really long time because there isn't anywhere to put anything else. Anything I buy just becomes clutter or in the way. One thing I am excited about is having a dining room table again. Right now our table is used mostly for stuff that has no where else to go. Like mail or books. It is amazing how quickly the pile builds. Then, come dinner time, the idea of actually figuring out where everything should go is too overwhelming and we usually just eat at the coffee table. So, having space to put a little shelf or side table just for the purpose of the "things that have no proper place to live" will be wonderful. Then I will reclaim the dining room table for food eating only.
There are several other things I want to buy like this a couple of these and this for our patio. I have many ideas...needless to say I am excited. And last, but not least, fingers crossed that this will also happen ;).

Heat

The heat of summer is officially upon us. For some reason during the freezingness of winter, when I am complaining and wishing desperately for summer, I don't remember these really hot and humid days. Also, it is 8:30 in the morning. And I am already feeling the heat. Part of the problem is that our living room wall (which is also a giant window) is where the sun, as it rises in all of its glory, beams in ferociously. Making a hot and sticky start to the day.
In better and more positive news...we are moving in just about a month. And I am fairly sure, if I am remembering the layout correctly, we will not have this whole sun problem. So that is exciting. But doesn't really help when I am desperate for a cup of coffee, but know that after the first sip I will start sweating. What about making it an iced coffee? (you say) Well, just not worth it if it isn't cold brewed (says the ex-barista).
Today is the 4th of July and also a Wednesday. So, I am taking the day off of work, which is something I hardly ever do for holidays like this. But it is good to take a day off of work to spend with my hubs every now and then.
I suppose that is all there is to say. Happy 4th of July!

Blueberries and Fireflies

Well, it is finally summer and the joy that brings me is almost too hard to describe.
It has been a couple months since I have updated this blog and truthfully I almost wrote a couple times, but couldn't think of anything to say. I think this was mostly due to the fact that this past spring was really hard for me. I felt myself spiraling farther into negativity and bitterness with each passing week. I am generally a positive-glass-half-full type of person, so seeing myself get caught up in the other direction was scary.
Thankfully, time and encouraging people in my life helped me get out of that slump and here I sit. Ready to write.
Today is the most beautiful day. There is no humidity, which, in my opinion, can be the death of a pretty day, and the birds are going crazy. One thing I do like about this little town is that there are a ridiculous amount of birds, bunnies, groundhogs, and squirrels. It is a little bit like living in a Disney movie at times. Also, fireflies. Or lightning bugs, as I used to call them growing up. It is amazing how much more magical night becomes when you see little flashing bugs.
Another element of summer that I am enjoying is fruit. My husband has been away for the past month so my diet has consisted of mostly fruit and salad. I have to say that usually I am a banana and apple kind of a girl, but with all of the peaches, blueberries, and strawberries around I have definitely expanded my horizons. Current obsession is blueberries. At first I would put a delicate scoop on my oatmeal in the morning, but now  I have begun snarfling them down by the handful (yes, snarfling). Also, the desire to make baked fruit items has increased exponentially. I actually made a strawberry coffee cake the other day spur of the moment.
I have to say that I am very excited about all the upcoming warm days and firefly filled nights.

Is it worth it?

I don't want to do two spring related posts in a row, but it is hard not to when birds are tweeting outside my window and the sun is beaming in. It almost makes up for the fact that I got one less hour of sleep last night :)

I would like to begin this post with a question. Is grad school worth it?
This is a question I have gone back and forth on in the past couple years. I have to admit that more often than not, I think it isn't worth it. It isn't worth the endless hours of work that my husband has to do. It isn't worth him taking ONE day off in the past three months (that includes weekends). It isn't worth the endless pressure and stress that he is constantly under.
Or is it?
This is definetely one of those situations where in five years we will have a much better idea of if it was worth it or not. Unfortunately, while in the midst of it, it is really hard to see outside of this endlessness.
I guess we will find out in the days, months, and years to come!