Life Update: January 2021

Hey guys — happy Friday & welcome back to the blog! I thought I’d sit down and do a life update post since I’m feeling a little chatty and I’m due for one of these. Let’s catch up!

First things first, Justin (my husband) is now selling real estate! He’s still teaching as well, but he’s very excited about this new career path and I’m so happy for him. This is something he’s been thinking about doing for a few years and I’m proud of him for making it happen. With that being said, if you know anyone locally who is looking to buy or sell, send them his way! You can find all of his info here and he’d be more excited than you can imagine if you liked his Facebook page (lol).

As I’ve mentioned, my maternity leave came to an end and I returned to work the first week of January. I’m doing a schedule of a few days in the office each week and the rest working from home, which I’m so grateful for. Let me tell ya, and just like you hear from moms all the time during your pregnancy, I can confirm that it’s not easy leaving your baby and I’m never thrilled about leaving her for a full day. When I’m not with her, my mind feels overloaded (I also get a migraine every day that I’m in the office — stress maybe?) thinking about what I need to be doing for her, if I’m pumping enough milk, if my ducts are draining properly, and so on. Being a mom never turns off, even when you’re away from your baby and they’re being completely cared for by someone you trust — and I imagine this is amplified by breastfeeding. My whole day revolves around feeding her, whether I’m with her or not. When I say it that way, I guess it’s easy to understand why I can feel distracted. I feel like I have a much clearer head and can balance things better when I’m physically with her, so that’s been something I’ve been trying to adjust to.

I feel like I’ve adjusted to motherhood well, though finding time to do things other than tending to her has been challenging. It can drive you crazy to be stuck on the couch breastfeeding and looking at a messy house without being able to get up and do anything about it. I’m someone who always likes to maintain a tidy environment, but that’s easily #4 on the priority list… behind #3: brushing my hair, which I don’t always get to either. 😂 But let me tell you, I feel like SUPER MOM when my house is clean, I’ve brushed my hair and teeth, washed my face, had time to put makeup on and do something with my hair, AND my baby is happy! Being a mom is truly the most selfless thing you can ever do and that becomes more and more apparent with each passing day that I wear the same untouched, ratty braids in my hair. 😉

As for an update on Clay, she’s getting cuter and cuter (and even more fun!) by the second. She smiles SO MUCH and loves playing and interacting with people. She’s so good at holding her head up, is really vocal, and she punches and kicks the air so much while she’s on the changing table as if she could fly away. She has very little interest in daytime naps for longer than 30 minutes (but she sleeps through the night, so I absolutely cannot complain), so a lot of my days are spent entertaining her while simultaneously getting other stuff done — it’s quite the art form! I dance around while I put on makeup, sing to her while I make lunch… you get the idea. I love it though and there’s nothing better than seeing your baby’s face light up when they see you and play with you. She’s my little sidekick! I joke that she’s CEO Clay during the workweek, so you best believe I’ll have a onesie with those words on it heading our way soon.

Something I’ve been slowly trying to tackle this month is updating my wardrobe because not a single pair of my jeans fit since having Clay. I think the last time I wore jeans was May of last year and it’s funny how you actually WANT to wear them when you can’t! I finally ordered a pair in a size up a few days ago, so I’m hoping those will work because I truly have no idea what size I am anymore. Since I dressed for a pregnant body for a majority of last year and simply wore whatever was comfortable and fit, I’m assessing everything in my closet and realizing I’m not into a lot of the pieces anymore. Trends come and go, and I feel like a good handful of my stuff has already run its style-course. I’m beyond ready to revamp my closet! I got some new items I asked for for Christmas and I’ve started looking around for some things I want to buy, even though I hate spending money. Lounge sets for weekends and work-from-home days + tops that are easy for breastfeeding have been key for me!

This is random, but I’ve spent the last few weeks completely binging Little People, Big World. It was my absolute favorite show growing up, but I fell off of watching it when I went to college and no longer had access to it. No joke, I used to be so obsessed. I begged my parents to take me there and I requested a jar of dirt from their farm for Christmas one year that they used to sell (I didn’t get it). I even had a Roloff Farms t-shirt and sweatshirt, and I went to a random festival in a nearby town that Amy was hired to attend so I could meet her and get a picture with her. I’ll have to find that photo and share it! I joke that it’s mine and Clay’s show because we’ve spent countless hours playing and nursing in the living room with it on in the background. I’ve officially caught up and have now seen every single episode that’s ever been made, and now I have that classic sad girl “what do I watch now?!” feeling. While caring for a baby, I feel like I don’t have the brainpower to keep up with a complicated storyline, so I’ve been sticking to reality TV. I’m trying out Real Housewives of Salt Lake City now and I’ll let you know how it goes.

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That’s all I’ve got for you on life lately! Aside from Lucia’s 2nd birthday coming up in a few weeks and being overly ready for spring, there’s not too much else going on around here. Thanks so much for stopping by to catch up with me & check back for another new post soon!