2016 was a year of adjustment. Adjusting to being a mom of two. Adjusting to a new role at work. Adjusting to a new house after making the decision to move mid-year. Whew! 2016 was full!
Charlotte started January at a mere 4 months old — so tiny and cute! That month I also showed off the cute pajama eaters I had made my nephews for Christmas, published a quilt pattern (that you’ll see again later this year!) and got a selfie stick. (Ha!) In February, I worked through a career-related disappointment and talked about my penchant for wanting gold stars. I relearned a parenting lesson about just going with what works. (Emma still comes into our room every morning, and it has simply become part of our routine.) Emma and I went to the Bayou Wildlife Zoo and the whole family enjoyed strawberry picking.
In March, I turned 38 and we celebrated Easter on the same weekend. I ran my first post-Charlotte 5K, finished my Triangles at Play quilt for a friend’s baby, and Jose and I took Emma to the rodeo. I summarized the “state of our household” and made several small updates to our house. I didn’t know we’d be moving a few months later, but they were still worthwhile! In April, we spent a week in Charlotte with my family — and met my niece Elizabeth for the first time! We had a great day at the Kite Festival and I reminded myself that I can do anything but not everything.
Emma had her first dance recital, Charlotte hit the 8 months mark, and I was a guest for the Yes & Yes True Story series in May. I had fun with a thought exercise about how I’d spend growing amounts of (imaginary) money and talked about the different strengths Jose and I have as parents. In June I finished my Ten Square quilt for Emma’s bed and also did my annual 30 days of creativity. We celebrated Father’s Day with Jose at the Museum of Natural Science and I wrote about some “second kid” differences.
At the beginning of July, we made the big decision to buy a new house! We had a nice Independence Day, I made three baby quilts and I spent a weekend solo with the girls when Jose went to Austin. August was full of activity as Emma turned 4 and we celebrated with a fun party, closed on our new house, and officially moved in! I was also honored with a special award at work.
In September, Charlotte turned 1 (!!!) and we celebrated her 1st birthday with friends. I wrote about how which kid is “the easy one” changes on a daily basis. October brought fall fun at the art festival, pumpkin patch and Halloween, and I made a list of house stuff I wanted to get done by the end of the year. I made a reindeer mini quilt for a swap and shared my sailor top.
I did a lot of quilting in November with a class with Carolyn Friedlander, a trip to the Quilt Festival, finishing my dogwood star quilt for a coworker’s baby, and making two minis for myself — before coming down to earth at the end of the month with a more realistic realization about what I can accomplish with my quilting at any given time. Like many people, I was thrown for a loop by the presidential election — which is likely to affect 2017 and the years to come in unknown ways. And this month Charlotte hit 15 months old, I made a quilted tote bag, I wondered what memories my kids will remember as they grow, and we had a lovely Christmas as a family at home!
I’m excited to see what 2017 brings!