Back to Reality

My mom has been here for two glorious weeks and 3 days.  This morning after a delicious greasy spoon diner breakfast we said our goodbyes and she pulled out onto the highway, headed for home.  This past week we got a few "your mom's still here? comments".  Yes! She's amazing.  I don't know how we'd have gotten through these last 17 days without her.

This past week was all about slowly acclimating to our new bigger family.  I cooked a bit more, started delving into some household chores, all the while with the support of my wonderful mother, who kept my two big girls so happy and active.  It's kind of appropriate that her trip ended on mother's day weekend.  What a great reminder of what an amazing woman I have as a mom.  I love you, you're the best!

Having her here allowed us to be mostly ourselves, and do so many things that would otherwise have been far too overwhelming this early in our parents to three gig.  Take Ian's graduation for instance.  No way could I have braved that 5 hour sojourn through the city and back to see our boy all hooded and robed.  I am SO thankful we got to experience that together.

Ian's dad, Dan was also here for a bit and he, his son and the girls had some extra fun too.

Botanic Gardens

Post Bedtime Cubs Game

It's times like these when I'm almost thankful we don't live so close to everyone.  Because when we're together, we're together. It's wonderful.

And all those moments in the middle?  The ones where the girls are smitten and we are overjoyed and our hearts swell to bursting with gratitude and happiness and our new baby is just too cute for words?  Well, of course there's lots of those.

And now that we're on our own? blazing the trail to this family of five thing full force?  well, it's kind of great so far.  I've been stunned by how easy it's all been. How getting up once or twice a night to feed and change my boy is no big deal, still kind of remarkable and fun I'll admit.  Today after pulling out from breakfast and saying goodbye we fell right back in to ourselves, our family.  Tromped over to some garage sales, scored BIG (lots of amazing clothes for all, puzzles, new bowls...good stuff) napped, took Ainsley on a little mommy daughter outing, and now?  My baby is in my lap, we're listening to trumpet concertos, the house is quiet and life is amazingly good.

Felix is the sweetest, we love him so much, and while I know getting the girls to and from school for the next two weeks is going to be dicey I also know that we'll be just fine.  I am SO excited to settle back further into ourselves, rediscover spring and summer with my three little ones, take trips up north, relish in the lush world outside (once my dang allergies clear) and be us, because that's what it's all about.

Ahh.  Reality is really really good right now.  I'm glad I'm here.