Linc and Lulu –

What a year 2018 was. We started out the year as a family of 3 living in a condo in the city and we ended the year as a family of 4 in a house in the country.  We made it through big changes this past year.  You took it all in stride and have grown so much!  Every day you amaze me.  I love to see how you take it all in.

So what exactly happened in 2018…

We started out by welcoming Linc into our life.  Born in the middle of January, weighing 8 pounds 3 oz and 21 inches long, he rocked our world in ways we couldn’t ever imagine.  Having Linc was the first time I spent the night away from Lulu.  I was more worried about being away from the baby I knew then I was about having a second!  I couldn’t imagine how our lives were about to change.

Bringing Linc home was such a joy and we quickly figured out life with two babies under one.  We navigated trips to the doctor and target in the winter.  We took the “L”, we waded through the snow to get to Trader Joe’s, and we had plenty of fun along the way.  We didn’t go on the same adventures we did with Lulu, like going to a music class or a new moms group, but we still had fun and found plenty to keep us busy.

Before I went back to work, we snuck in a quick trip to Arizona to get you both on a plane before your 1st birthdays.  We enjoyed the sunshine, got to see your Mim and Bmpa’s AZ home and we learned what to do and not do when traveling with 2 babies.

When we got back, it was time to celebrate Lulu’s 1st birthday.   Lulu’s first year of life flew by!  We had such a great time with family and friends and all the unicorns you can imagine.  I planned this party for Lulu for months, probably starting the day she was born.  It was so much fun celebrating our little princess and reminiscing about the last 12 months. And of course, there was cake!

In early April, I returned to work.  It was hard.  I loved spending every minute of my day with both of you.  I loved being there for all your highs and all your lows. I like my job, but I love spending my days with you more.  Daycare in the city, or at least the daycare we had come to love, was no longer an option with 2, but we were lucky enough to find Miss D. to be your nanny. Miss D brought so much love and laughter to your days.  As the weather got warmer you explored music, dance and story time classes. City life looked good on you. You were such little explorers. I loved all the things you were being exposed to in a big city. And luckily with summer right around the corner, we were able to enjoy summer fests, trips to the park, and a few Cubs games together as a family of four.

In August, your daddy made the hard decision to take a job that brought you closer to your extended family but further away from the city we’d called home.  We packed up everything, put the condo on the market and moved into a house.  A house that allowed you plenty of space to play indoors, outdoors, and have your own rooms. A house we could grow into and a town that would afford us more time with grandparents, closer to cousins, and familiarity for me and your dad. It was a hard decision, and one that weighed heavy on our hearts, but it was a good one.  We adjusting nicely in our new town, and you’ve found a few classes and activities to keep you busy.

Less than two weeks later we took a family trip to Disney World.  We had a great time seeing amazing shows, eating fantastic food and seeing the Bahamas and Disney’s Castaway Cay.   Spending a vacation with 14 other family members from aged 80- 8 months made for quite an experience!

October brought Haloween, where we had the first of hopefully many sibling’s costumes.  I loved my little Beast and Belle.  I’ve picked out the costumes for this year and I can hardly wait.  I don’t know what I’m going to do when you guys think you should be able to pick your own costumes!

November brought Linc’s first Thanksgiving. and December we had a family trip to Chicago to enjoy Breakfast with Santa at the Shedd, Zoo Lights, and Winter Wonderland at Navy Pier.  It was so much fun to camp at our old condo and enjoy city life as locals one last time.  We had Linc’s first Christmas, marking the last of his 1st holidays. This was also our first Christmas morning in our own home, spending the morning as a family.  We had a nice Christmas breakfast before we started our adventure to family Christmas parties.

We finished off 2018 ringing in the new year watching Toy Story 2, eating pizza and drinking fancy sparkling grape juice. 2018 has been a whirlwind of change and growth for our little family.  We’re looking forward to what 2019 will bring.

My goal for us as a family is to have more simplicity in our lives. To create room to breathe.  To make plans but be ok when the plan doesn’t go exactly as expected.  I also want to do more of the things we enjoy.  So more date nights for Matt and I, more vacations as a family, more massages for me and more live events. What’s on your bucket list for 2019?  How will you show up to live your best life? 

XOXO

Sarah

Like this post?  Check out Best of 2017, from Baby to Big Boy or Moving.