She was raised in a New England village

When I envisioned this blog, I thought about things I might include in it. One of the things that seemed most obvious in my earliest thoughts was a recurring series about the awesome people in my life. Trust me when I tell you, while there are only a few people I hold close these days, they are a truly remarkable group.

So, I kick this series off with exclamations of praise about my friend Bethany Kent.

The baby, the baby, the baby!

I found out I was pregnant on October 30^th, 2011. I’d had suspicions for a few days, for various reasons (I’d been feeling nauseous for a few weeks, my period was late, my breasts were achy, etc), but I finally decided to take the plunge and take an at-home test. I woke up early, early in the morning so I was sure to use the test with my first trip to the ladies room of the day (as recommended!) and waited the 3 minutes to see the results.

Today, I am thankful.

When I was a freshman in high school, my best friend told me that I was the most negative person she had ever known. It wasn't meant to be an insult, she said it kind of offhandedly in response to what I’m sure was at the very least an extremely sarcastic comment from yours truly, but it completely knocked me over. I doubt she even remembers this conversation, but I thought about it every day for a really long time.

Oof.

Folks, I have a new challenge on the horizon

Going to the gym.

Let me clarify: going to the gym that is one block away from me, and doing it by myself.

The Blind Leading the Blind

I woke up one Friday in April of 2012 and I couldn’t see as well as I could the day before.

I know, I know. That sounds a little dramatic. But bear with me.

What a Year for a New Year

So, I thought a good, sort of sweeping New Years resolution for 2014 would be to do something every day that I feel good about. I think it's a pretty good one because it can cover a lot of things (drink more water, cook more, go to the gym), without being so specific that I put too much pressure on myself and make it too easy to break the resolution and give up halfway through January.

Better than the first time, better than the worst time

I’m going to be honest. Sometimes, it’s awesome being a stay at home mom.

Liam, my now 19-month-old son, is the cutest, sweetest little boy and we have a lot of fun together. We spend our mornings watching the Today Show and playing with toy cars and trucks while drinking tea, and milk and practicing using a fork while eating slices of banana (we don’t each do all of those things—I’ll let you figure out who does which). He is good enough to entertain himself for a few minutes at a time when I have to go make myself some toast or wash a dish or two. When it’s finally time for him to take a nap in the afternoon, he grabs his favorite stuffed animal, a little floppy-eared bunny named Eggy, already worn from a year and a half of love, and whines until I pull him into my ap in the big chair by the windows where he curls up and drinks from his bottle till he falls asleep. And looking at his sweet little face when I gently carry him to his room and put him in his crib, set to the tune of deep breathing and the gentle hum of the sound machine on his bookshelf, I feel so, so lucky.

I’m going to be honest with you.

Sometimes, it is not so awesome.

Mic check

So, I’m 30.

Ok, that sounded a little grim and dramatic. I’m 30 years old today, and I feel pretty ok about it. It’s nice to feel solidly in a new decade (being “still 29” was starting to feel a little like I was clinging to something), and I figure if Kim Kardashian can be in her 30s, side by side with Britney Spears, then I’m in pretty hot company. On top of which, two of the coolest, smartest ladies I know in real life (Mindy Scott and Michelle Houle) tell me that my 30s are something I just need to get through to make it to my 40s, which they both assure me will be the best decade of my life.

Anyway.