Hi hello I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since I’ve sent out a newsletter. Every month so far in 2022 I’ve told myself that I would write and then I haven’t. But today the words are buzzing around and it’s the beginning of a new month so why not.
Last year was weird, wasn’t it? A full calendar of pandemic life. By spring I was burnt out, which is why I took a break from writing here in the first place. But then things started looking up! We took the kids to Disney World and decided to try for a third child.
A third kid was not really part of The Plan. Two seemed like enough, and I never wanted to be pregnant past the age of 35 because of the whole “advanced maternal age” nonsense. And on some level, having another when I am so fortunate to have had two healthy pregnancies resulting in perfectly healthy children seemed… greedy? frivolous? I don’t know. But one day I saw a really cute baby on Instagram and, well, the heart wants what the heart wants.
I had a positive pregnancy test a few days after I turned 37 in July. I spent the next three months in bed with nausea, headaches, and fatigue. I had a UTI followed by a sinus infection followed by a visit to Labor & Delivery at 15 weeks for dehydration after throwing up for 24 hours straight. Historically, I haven’t had “easy” pregnancies and this one was no exception (although, mercifully, I am not anemic or GBS positive like I was with my second). There were some other bumps along the road (like being monitored for growth restriction), but I am now closing in on 39 weeks and ready to, as the TikTok song goes “skip to the good part.”
Adding to our family has necessitated some changes that I think we were on the path towards regardless. Mostly, leaving Austin. The timeline for moving is long (we’ve spent a year looking for the right property and now it seems like our best option is to build), but I think in the end it’s the right choice for everyone in our family. Ultimately, I just want to figure out how to grow really amazing tomatoes and hang out with some ducks and maybe a goat or five. (This morning I thought of this blog post I wrote last year, and how I still feel every bit of it in my bones.)
Mostly, I’m looking forward to again accessing the part of my brain that likes to like, construct sentences and glue paper together. I miss my creative life more than I miss being able to sleep on my back, and that’s saying a lot.
Anyway. Thanks for coming along on this little life update. I hope you are doing well in spite of everything going on, and I hope to be back in your inbox with a more interesting newsletter soon.
xo.
What I’m loving lately:
scones with clotted cream and giant bowls of fresh fruit
I just finished reading Vladimir and it was interesting and a little odd and I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about it. Recommend if you’re a fan of darker literary fiction like Night Bitch or My Year of Rest and Relaxation
FloraChild sewing patterns; thinking about making some simple t’s and pants out of double gauze and linen for my younger two this spring/summer