Everyday.
Tags:She's six weeks old today.
Zoom. It's going so very fast.
Constantly cleaning or dealing with spit up, poop & breast-milk; hearing Simon say "looks like trouble" when Anna begins to make any sort of crying noise; tons of snuggling and adoring; changing my own clothes as many times as I change hers; fitting a bit of work in between feeding & naps & playing & cooking & housework; watching love grow right in front of my eyes; carting two kids to doctor's appointments (both mine and theirs); going to the grocery store (and having it start pouring down rain as soon as I get there so I get to carry the car seat through the pouring rain) as the big exciting outing of the day; feeling so thankful to have such an involved husband (and a baby that is really very mellow overall)...all these are the current reality of my everyday.
All joys of a very small baby in my world right now.
This experience so far has been completely different than life with Simon as an infant. Even though my memory is foggy looking back seven years ago, I remember it to be so much more challenging. It was more challenging. In my memory he cried harder and louder. I had no idea what I was doing with a tiny baby. I was so, so tired and that impacted everything.
My expectations this time around are completely different. My approach is slower and calmer. I know myself better and I am less-stressed out (even with more on my plate). I know my limits. I take deeper breaths.
He taught me so much (and continues to teach us new things all the time).
It hasn't been perfect by any means, and yet, it is perfect.
It's Spring Break here this week and Simon can be found hanging out in his sleeping bag chatting about wanting to go camping. Chris has been researching new tents big enough for a family of four. I have been daydreaming about setting up raised beds for a vegetable garden in our empty backyard.
I've got a couple projects going on my table right now. They are tended to in little chunks of time here and there. The desire is definitely there, it's that whole "finding the time" thing that is the current issue. Soon I will need to get a little more serious about finding a new work at home balance once again.
For now, we continue to get to know each other. Simon continues to teach Anna about the world and Star Wars and Baby Einstein and McDonalds. I continue to spend a good deal of time hanging out on the couch or walking around with her in my arms whispering love notes into her delicate little ears.
And of course, taking lots of photos to document the experience when I can make the time.


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86 comments
so fun to hear about your everyday joys! happy moments everywhere. good luck!
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hi ali! thank you as always for sharing your life, your story, and bits of yourself. love hearing all the everyday-ness of your world. preparing for life with two here in maryland too. a son is four and i can't believe we will be welcoming a baby girl in four short months. -tara
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good stuff all.
We (ok, actually Paul) set up raised planting beds last week, and started seeds that are sprouting remarkably fast. 'Nurture' is the name of my garden documenting project -- with a not-so-mini book to take us from seedlings to the table. I'm pretty excited to be working on it.
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It's so good that you're recording these early memories that pass in such an instant. You've captured the crazy wonderfulness of the early weeks perfectly!
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wow! 6 weeks old already. time really flies by. i'm so glad you're enjoying it. two kids was such a transition for me, it seems like you are handling it great.
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Thank you Ali for this comment:
"It hasn't been perfect by any means, and yet, it is perfect."
You made me stop and realize that amongst the chaos of my life that includes raising my kids, working full time and finding balance....it is uniquely perfect and sometimes I just need to step back and appreciate the blessings I have. Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the negative things that you forget to stop and focus on the positive. Thank you for helping me focus on the good today!!
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Ali, that just sounds wonderful. My Anna is 18 and in college now - it goes by so fast. Zoom. Enjoy every moment you can.
Peace to all four of you. Susan
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What a cute picture! Glad to hear you are doing well with this new baby. Experience is a great teacher! :-)
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She is SO precious. And so is he. So glad you're soaking this up.
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Sweet picture. : )
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What a precious photo. I think Anna looks a lot like Simon in this picture. What a sweet family.
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I love that picture, Ali. So glad you're taking time to enjoy it all.
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love it all! the honest daily good stuff. thanks for sharing with us ali!
a
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Makes me think of a post I was linked to the other day where the blogger wrote that "Life doesn't have to be perfect in order to be wonderful." Thanks Ali for reminding us to love even the little moments, and congrats on your beautiful girl!
The blog post was at...
http://especiallyheather.com/2007/06/10/life-doesnt-have-to-be-perfect/
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Sounds wonderful-enjoy. I know you are.
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We have a Coleman tent that is perfect for our family of 4. We even put a pack and play in it when our kids were small. I think it is actually a 6 man tent but it's big enough to stand in and it has a divider that we can put in it if we need to separate the space. The last time we went we set up our old tent and the big one and used one to store our stuff and one to sleep in! I hope you can take Simon camping this summer. We can't wait to do it soon!
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So good to "hear" from you Ali and enjoying this special time. Just returned from purchasing a gift for my soon to be teen (Thursday) son...yes, time does go by quickly and I feel blessed to be given my two children and enjoy them at all stages of life. By the way, we got him a digital camera :)
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I love how you put this...
"It hasn't been perfect by any means, and yet, it is perfect."
Thank you for your elegant writing and beautiful photos.
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I emailed you a couple pictures from last summer using our tent. I had just bought it from Sam's Club and it's Swiss Gear. It's really big and fits our family of 4 really comfortably. We even had plenty of room for the Pack and Play. http://www.swiss-gear-tents.com/ccp0-prodshow/SG33044.html
Highly recommend it.
So glad to hear everything is going well with your family. :)
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Such an adorable photo.
I can somewhat remember the earlier days with a brand new infant. He cried so much more than his little brother. The other one was so mellow in comparison...but, perhaps it was just my perception of being a new mom and all. I agree, I learned to be more tolerant and more accepting with my youngest than I ever did with the first one. Experience was my guide there. Thanks for sharing your everyday experience with Anna & Simon. Be very thankful that Chris is a "hands-on" dad (YAY-Chris!). ((HUGS)) to you & your wonderful family.
~Pino
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