Half a Year in Review

People always say, "I don't know what we used to do before we had kids..."  Well, that's not entirely true for me.  I very clearly remember life before kids.  Ryan and I used to sleep till 10 or 11 on Saturday mornings.  We watched our shows whenever we wanted to and went out on dates all the time.  We hung out with our friends till late at night and never minded because we knew we'd be able to catch a nap the next day, if we needed it.  Now I'm not trying to say that I want to go back to those days, but I still remember the freedom that came with that phase of life.

Once Gracie came along, our lives became busier than they'd ever been, and a lot brighter, too!  Transitioning to parenthood wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but by far the most life-changing and rewarding. I always knew I was made to be a Momma, but I never knew what all that meant.  It is a gift.  Quite simply, it really is like comparing black and white TV to color... everything looks better when you are a Momma.  Enjoying things in life that take you back to your own childhood is one of the gifts.  Or better yet, enjoying the things in life that are better when you're a Momma (like Christmas morning and baking cookies) is another gift.  

But I can't even say that I don't remember what life was life before Hattie.  I remember having just one baby to juggle and keep watch over.  I remember Gracie dropping nap time and freeing our family up for fun any time of the day.  We could make family plans for an entire day or stay out past bedtime without worry of a cranky little one.  Once Hattie arrived, we went back to juggling fun with rest time.  We're back to diapers and playing on the floor.  Life is even busier now and balancing my time as a Momma, wife, and friend is more difficult.  But to be completely honest, I'm loving every minute of it!  I could not imagine these last 6 months without her sweet face.  Because she's such a good sleeper, I'm not as exhausted as I could be.  Because she's so content, we're able to have the best of both worlds with lots of fun and enough downtime to catch our breath each day.  Seeing my girls interact as sisters has been the biggest surprise for me!  It's such a joy to be their Momma!

First day...

One months

Two months
This one will always be one of my favorites!

Three months

Four months

Five months

Six months

So here we are, 6 months in and I know there's so much fun ahead of us!  She's begun showing us her little personality and I can tell she's on the verge of becoming really expressive.  She's gotten bigger and louder over her half year of life.  She's also gotten longer and more predictable.  Although she continues to grow and change, one thing remains constant... my constant love for this sweet girl... that, and her squeezable cheeks!