Make this place your home...

It's hard for me to believe, but a year ago at this time, we were throwing the final items into boxes.  (Boxes that I would soon discover were so unorganized that it took us almost this full year to unpack and reorganize.)  It wasn't the most romantic wedding anniversary, but the whole process was symbolic  of the vows and promises I had made on that day four years before.

Moving day was an emotionally confusing day.  Calling it bittersweet just doesn't do it justice.  There was so much sadness.  But, there were also moments of excitement about the long journey that was spread out in front of us.  I remember someone saying to me when they heard we were moving, "It's going to be sad, but there is a certain excitement to going somewhere entirely new and just starting over."

Whoever that was - thank you.  You were right.

I miss my home.  Yes.  There is a hole in my heart where St. Louis used to be and I catch myself aching for some of our traditions we celebrated yearly while still living there.

Cardinals in Postseason has kind of become a yearly thing. Just sayin'.

But, for every second that I miss St. Louis - there is a moment of pure, unencumbered joy and gratitude for the life we are living here and the people that we share it with.  There are things that have taken some getting used to (everything literally shuts down during football games, it's like a ghost town.)  Some things (traffic patterns, for example) I may never enjoy.  But, I truly just LOVE it here.  (So much so that sometimes I feel like I'm cheating on my city a bit.)

I remember on the day we left that I watched The Arch become a tiny little dot in my rearview mirror my eyes blurred with tears and sad songs blaring on my CD player. And yet, every time I started to get scary sad and ugly cry, I would have a message of encouragement from someone back at home.  Messages that promised me it would be okay.  Messages that told me that they missed me already. Messages that allowed me to hope that not only was it going to be good - that it might just be even better.

To all of you who contacted me on one of the most defining days of my entire life - thank you.  And?  You were right.  It is okay.

The past two years that we have been in the process of relocating ourselves here has taught me so much about our strength as a couple; as parents; as people, in general.  And now that we get to live here in the beautiful now - I'm just so grateful and blessed about where this journey has taken us thus far.

So, happy first anniversary, Chicago - I think I'll keep you.
And, happy fifth anniversary to my husband - you can stay too.

They say it's your birthday...

Well, readers.  I screwed  up.
I thought my bloggiversary was today.
It was actually yesterday.
I was happy to spend it guest blogging over at Literal Mom, though that wasn't exactly the plan.
Isn't that just how motherhood is, though?
You make a plan, only to have to change and adapt it to fit the needs of the moment.

So, one day late - here it is.
Happy (belated) birthday, New Mom on the  Blog.

-----

I have had a post planned since August about my first few weeks of motherhood.
I haven't found the right words yet, but suffice it to say - I wasn't doing well in those first few weeks.

Trite as it may sound, the blogging world brought me out of the funk.  I am forever indebted to smart phones because it was that connection to the outside world that kept my head above water.

Around the time I returned to work, I started having ideas for blog posts - most of which were in response to things I had read.  From those ideas, New Mom on the Blog was born.

It was a humble beginning, indeed.
I didn't want to share my blog with anyone I knew because I was afraid of what they would think (both of my writing and of my parenting.)

But, after I had a few good posts under my belt.  I started sharing it with the world.
The encouragement I have received from my friends has been simply overwhelming.  The people I have "met" from blogging are just incredible.  The lessons I have learned are innumerable.

I want to thank RANTS FROM MOMMYLAND, Our Cups Runneth Over, Pregnant Chicken, Literal Mom, and Mommy Shorts who have all featured me this year on their blogs.  Most of my followers came from you.  I wouldn't have a blog if it weren't for your inspiration.  You are my blogging heroes.

I would have to say this was my favorite post of the year to write and it has received some of the best feedback.  You can leave a comment and tell me your favorite because I would love to know.

Here's to another year of New Mom on the Blog.
Thank you for reading.
There is so much more to come.