If you hadn’t noticed already, I was offline last week. On a whim, I decided to take the kiddos on a road trip to our annual family reunion in West Virginia. {I’ll bet you never would have guessed I have West Virginian roots.} Originally, we weren’t going to attend because of Mabrey’s extreme fussiness but since we discovered her problem and she’s now a happy, happy baby, I decided a spontaneous vacay would be fun. It was. Handy Hubby had to stay behind for work and we missed him. {The good news is he got a ton of little projects done around the house!} It was so nice to have dozens of extra hands to keep the kids entertained. It really does take a village, doesn’t it?
Over the last few days, I’ve been soaking up my new baby. I feel like I’m meeting her all over again. Up until a few weeks ago, Mabrey was always crying out, writhing, grunting and squirming when I would hold her. I made HH take these pics of her passed out on me. It was the first time I’ve held her where she laid and slept perfectly still, limp. She smiled in her sleep at just the right time. I held her like this for almost two hours the other night. Pure sweetness.
I felt the most present I have in a long time. I inhaled her baby smell, felt every little heave of her slumbering chest and cherished the shallow butterfly breaths I felt on my upper arm. Melt my heart. I will remember that night as long as I live. I had my laptop set up in front of me on the coffee table but, at that time, blogging seemed trivial. I’m so glad I decided to put it aside. I would have missed a precious moment.
The R&R has done me good. I feel more inspired, content. Isn’t it strange how a break from the everyday can make you appreciate the everyday more?
Thank you so much for the support you showed last week when I disclosed Mabrey’s issues with breastfeeding and dairy. You guys are awesome!…and have me wondering what all the dairy-free fuss was about. The personal experiences, recipes, cookbooks, blogs and websites you shared are providing me with a wealth of knowledge and opening my eyes to a healthier lifestyle. I can’t thank you enough.
I have several projects and reviews {i.e., our IKEA cabinets and bar stools} on the schedule for this week. Feels good to be back in the blogging saddle.
Click here to see who won last week’s Nena Von giveaway.
images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
family life, inspiration, kid-friendly