Mountain Baby and a New Normal

Dear Readers,

I’m sorry I haven’t posted since February. The reason for my silence has been the anticipation and arrival of the newest member of our family – Mountain Baby.

A new baby is a blessing, so small and precious, but getting it here is tough. I had forgotten how tiring being pregnant is, how little energy I would have for outdoor fun.  In those last few months of pregnancy I could barely walk down Big E’s hallway at school without getting winded and walking up stairs was an endurance event. It was hard respecting the fact that my body just could not do the things it could before. Those physical limitations led to emotional weariness as well. The thought of doing anything above the bare minimum for survival was too much.  

Now that Mountain Baby is here I feel physically better and worse. I’m able to lay on my back comfortably, I can breathe deeply and reach down to pick things up off the ground, but I’m also sore and exhausted from lack of sleep. Once again I’m trying to respect what my body can do and not expect much more than that. I want to compare my daily achievements to what I was able to do before, but when I do I come up woefully short. Showering and feeding my kids do not make an impressive list of accomplishments.

With time I know I will find my way to a new normal. I know there will come a day where I’m not waking up every 3 hours to feed a newborn, comforting a jealous older sister, and managing Big E’s schoolwork while breaking into tears because my kids aren’t listening and the baby’s crying. I believe that day will come. For now I will try (again) to show myself and my family kindness and compassion, to not expect too much and enjoy the blessed moments of peace.

Holding Mountain Baby helps me remember the things I love in my life – my kids, my husband and the outdoors. I’m excited to introduce her to the world of camping, hiking, biking and loving the outdoors. She’s a precious blessing in my life and I’m grateful she’s here. I hope you’ll read along with our adventures in family life and the outdoors.

Thanks for reading. I hope you get out and have your own adventures!