New Home!

We are finally (mostly) settled in to our new home.  I had a lot of energy and motivation right away to get the house unpacked and start checking things off of our very long to-do list.  In the first week I had nearly everything put away and even some painting projects done.  It didn't really seem overwhelming to me at the time but I think it caught up with me and Marek after a couple of weeks.  Marek was really starting to act up and wanting my attention.  My patience was getting seriously tested after a million trips to the store for supplies.  And so, I think my body and my baby told me to take a step back and relax.  I have lost almost all of the motivation I had to get anything done and now I'm just waiting for that husband of mine to get home and finish off the list!  It always happens at the two-month mark; we all start to go a little stir crazy and need our family together.  Unfortunately, Matt will be staying on the ship an extra month in order to be home an extra month and be here for the baby's birth.  Just pray that baby comes early so we have extra time together as a family of four!  Marek has adjusted incredibly well to the move but as he is older now, he is also very aware of Daddy's absence and misses him a lot.  Luckily, Matt has been in port for a couple of weeks and is able to access video chat while docked there.  It makes all the difference in the world being able to talk face to face!  Marek looks forward to seeing Daddy every night before bed and I think Matt gets a kick out of his silly before-bedtime restlessness.  Sometimes I'll plop him on the office chair and go grab something for dinner and I can hear him chirping away while Matt laughs and says, "uh huh, Buddy" because it is still difficult to understand most of what he's talking about :)

With the added attention, Marek has been such a good boy lately.  He is helpful and perceptive and surprising me every day with new things that he says and does.  I've realized recently that I need to start recording more of him because this baby talk is soon going to be a thing of the past!  I also started writing down all of his funny words for things that I don't want to forget (my latest favorite..."Pop Pork" = Popcorn).  I have been holding and carrying him as much as possible because I know our days are numbered.  I'm also realizing the importance of tradition, routine, and starting to instill in him our beliefs at this age because he really does pick up on a lot!  He often times is the one reminding me to pray before we eat and at bedtime.

We actually haven't been hanging out with family as much as we'd like because the weather has been so dang frigid.  We are looking forward to a warm-up and hopefully even more snow so we can get outside and play!  We did get outside one afternoon for a walk around the neighborhood and met some neighbors.  We also got a membership to the Community Center and Marek loves to go swimming and is warming up to the idea of playing in the childcare center while I get in a workout.  He did great at church nursery last Sunday which was good for both of us.

The novelty of our new home has not worn off yet for Marek. Every time we pull in the driveway he exclaims, "new home!" and every reference to our house still includes the phrase "new home" as well as every other place we've gone: new library, new store, new church. He has mentioned a number of times, even today, that he wants to "go farm, see Papa." It's sad that we are not as close to be able to do that but we hope that it will make our visits back to Wisconsin more special and memorable.

I have my first OB appointment with a new doctor on Monday and we will be finding out the gender (on Matt's birthday!). I am anxious to see the baby and make sure that everything they can see looks okay. I have had a hard time gaining weight so far and I'm nervous that the baby could be affected by how sick I was in Oct/Nov. In many ways, I feel like I'm doing this all again for the first time. I have made many lifestyle changes since my first pregnancy as well, I have become a mom and that alone makes me feel like a different person. I am hoping to do things a little differently with this pregnancy and birth and praying for the same wonderful outcome. It took me until about two weeks ago to really "feel pregnant" and to face the fact that this baby is coming, no matter what!

I haven't done enough to express our gratitude to our family for helping with the move. It was a long day (and days for some!) and was perhaps more stuff than I thought there would be. They not only did the actual lifting and moving, but helped with Marek, supplied food, plowed the driveway, and so much more. Thank you, thank you, thank you to you all! We are so happy to be here.