My Sugar House Life: Ashton (14 months), Harper (3), Aidan (13)

Ashton is a year old! What does that mean? Well, I guess 12 months is when they go from being a baby to being a toddler, which means I am kinda, sorta done with the baby stage. I had my last nursing session the day before Ashton turned a year old. He started walking a couple days after his first birthday and had his first real walk across the room at Aunt Heather's birthday party (November 4) for everyone to see. He's my first kid to not walk by their first birthday, but it's probably because it's so much work lugging his big body around. Ashton was 24.5 pounds at his 11 month doctor's appointment, and was probably well over 25 pounds by a year. He's my sweet, giant, squishy baby, and I love him.

I haven't written on the blog in 7 months so I went back to see where I left off. It is shocking, shocking, to see how much has changed in the past seven months. I try to be as real as I can be here without saying things I regret, but this year was hard. Adding a third baby rocked my world, and I am now much more familiar with my actual breaking point. Between working and having three littles (including two two and under), I hit my ceiling. My house was never clean enough, I was never rested enough, I was kind of cranky with everyone even when I tried not to be. My clothes didn't fit. I missed my family back in California. I found myself looking at nearly everyone with disdain and envy for how much free time they had. I slept on an air mattress in the living room for four months from when Ashton was 5-9 months old. Yes, FOUR MONTHS. I love my job, love my kids, love my husband and friends, but everything was just too much, and I could feel the real effects on my mental health.

But slowly, since Ashton was about nine months old, I find myself working back towards stasis. Starting a random dance party in the kitchen for no reason. Watching sunsets with a general sense of well being and happiness. Reading for fun (and not just parenting books). Not snapping at my husband for the smallest infraction. It feels good to be inching towards me again, especially sleeping in my own room.

There are about a million pictures I could add to this blog since last June so I'll try to be judicious by keeping it to my favorite 200. Seriously. I tried to add less but there are just so many I love. All my kids are in a cute stage even Aidan who has turned into a man since my last post. See for yourself...

Summer 2018