Too Much Time On My Hands

Mommy needs a drink!!!!

well, maybe not if she's still on codeine (see below!)

So, if I thought I had too much time on my hands last time I posted to the blog, I had no idea. NOW I've really got too much time on my hands because I've been laid off from my job! Not enough clients to keep me on board. It has been about a week, so the initial shock and ego-bruise has worn off, but wow did that experience take the wind out of my sails. I don't want to write too much about the experience, but suffice it to say in the end this will have been a blessing rather than a curse. I was hoping to ride my last job through a second pregnancy, and I'm sad to be forced to give up the flexibility I had at that firm, but it has been clear to me for quite a long time that I had reached the end of my road there and it is time to move on. I'm always going to be glad that I stayed there for as long as I did because I think I finally found a practice area that interests me for the long term. But like I said I'm not going to write much more about that -- I'm just going to get organized to move on and find something to do that I can truly sink my teeth into and fully enjoy. (a side note -- it has only been a week since I lost my job, but one thing I've already gleaned from the experience is that I do want to have a fulfilling career outside the home -- this probably seems obvious to some, but it hasn't been obvious to me since Hank was born. I've been pretty confused, actually, about my professional role versus my personal role and this experience has helped me gain some clarity).



Big Sur

We took Hank on his first trip to Big Sur two weekends ago -- it was so fun to explore with him! We took him all over the coast -- down south to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (where Henry asked me to marry him lo those many years ago), north to Andrew Molera State Beach (where we hiked a couple of miles through coastal forest and chapparel to a windswept beach), to drinks and dinner at Nepenthe (where Hank handled the fine dining experience like a pro!), to lounging on the lawn at the Big Sur River Inn (where Hank waded in a river for the first time and devoured an entire banana without any help from either one of us). It was truly a lovely trip.



Surgery

In other news, I had surgery last week to remove my gallbladder. I've been pretty sore, but I'm recovering smoothly. Today I feel like I felt worse than the day before, but tonight I'm feeling pretty good again. I can't do a whole lot for Hank yet and I won't be able to lift him for a few more weeks, but we are doing really well even with the changes in our routines. Henry has been a total champ, as have been my parents, and my moms' group friends have been an incredible support -- they've been bringing meals and will be helping out with Hank. We are truly blessed in the friends and family department.



Walking!!!

Hank is walking! We've seen him go up to five steps before falling, and he's turned into a total pro at walking with assistance -- up until today we would walk behind him while holding both his hands above his head, but tonight he refused all but one finger's worth of assistance. We cannot believe it -- he's like a Real Boy now.



With each day that passes now I look at him and the teeny baby he once was seems further and further away, and I can't believe that there was a time that he wasn't even part of our lives. He's such a full-fledged little kid now -- with opinions and desires and undying curiosity. Everyday he's learning something new and testing his limits and boundaries in new ways. Obviously we encourage all of this heartilly, but I admit a little part of me misses those cuddly baby days when he would sleep for hours on my chest. But I wouldn't trade the Hank of Today with anything, because I know that tomorrow he'll be different yet again.



Ahhhhh, baby love.