The Best Day Ever

Sometimes it's the little things, right? Today our family had the kind of day that we all needed. A lazy morning at home, and a jog outside for me. Then it was off to Fountain Hills for a lap around the lake in the near perfect weather. Gavin did awesome. Not a peep from that guy, which is extremely unusual. After he enjoyed some pureed carrots on the picnic blanket, we headed to Spinato's for our favorite pizza. Our dear boy, who NEVER stays asleep in his car seat did the unthinkable and stayed either asleep or silent while we enjoyed our favorite salad followed by our favorite pizza in a leisurely fashion.

And for the last stop, we picked up a Foonf for our humongous boy, who has already graduated to a convertible car seat. Together, my friend JE and I geek out over this amazing car seat and it's very special color. (Gavin and Hazel are matching in the dragonfly green.) Thanks for doing the research for me, JE! If you can believe it, Gavin, at just 4 months old, is so big that his head has almost reached the top of his infant car seat. Granted, the seat was used by my 4-year-old nephew, and I think they make them to last a little longer these days. But we sure did get our money's worth out of that one! (Free Ninety-free. Thanks, Palmers!) But now that G makes the long commute with me, he deserves the best and safest, and something that's big enough! Who would have thought I'd ever get so excited about a car seat?

I had to recover from some PTSD after so many sleepless nights alone with G and single-handedly keeping things running around here. I do not know how to run a household like a well-oiled machine, as the mothers of past generations did. I'm not a natural at being a part-time working mom, but I am enjoying it, even in my stupor of exhaustion. In general, it has been harder on me to go to work while Dylan is away than it was to stay at home with the baby while he was gone, though I don't regret going back to work at all (yet) because it adds a dynamic to life that is much needed when the rest of my time is spent hanging out with the baby.

My friend, Nicole, shared this article about motherhood-induced anxiety. I agree that a lot of women feel pressured to be all things to all people and end up in living life in a maniacal way, not unlike a bipolar person in a manic phase. It's hard not to do, I guess, and sometimes I do feel a bit like a maniac. But I also know to take every opportunity I can to slow down, do things for myself on the rare moments I get the chance to, and take a deep breath of fresh air every now and then. I digress, but I'll end it by saying that my mind, body, and soul are almost completely healed after this fabulous day. My two guys are the best a girl could ask for, and I'm so thankful for them. If I could ask for just one more thing it would be more sleep...but that'll never change.