One week from today this kiddo is going to be 4 months old. Never in a million years did I think I would be so blessed to stay home with him this long and watch him grow up. While it's been rough balancing on one income now as the medical bills have rolled in, I wouldn't have traded this for the world. I now see why so many moms go on maternity leave and decide not to go back to work. 1) This is a full-time job in and of itself, and 2) Every day he grows, changes, becomes even more "Jack" than the day before, and to think I would've missed many of these memories had I been at work. When I go to the store and Mike stays home with him, I miss him to pieces. When Mike and I go on a date without Jack, we constantly talk about him until we get home again. Even when he takes naps during the day (as he is right now, in fact, cuddled up in my left arm), I many times find myself missing him. I never get anything done with Jack, and yet it's the most amazing and incredible chaos I could ever imagine. Having him here is complete and utter joy.
And now come the interviews, many of which are full-time positions. A second income again will be without a doubt helpful, but indeed I do still dread the thought of going back to work and losing precious time watching this little man grow up. I so wish I could stay home with him, but of course that doesn't work too well when you have student loans, a mortgage, and medical bills to pay. So now here I am, soaking in every precious moment I have left with Jack as a temporary stay-at-home-mom until the day I go back to work... which is certainly sooner than I'd like.
In the meantime, Mike and I are continuing to remake the horrid landscaping that was our lot when we first moved in. The "garden" that existed in a corner of our yard when we first bought the house consisted of a few piles of dirt overgrown with weeds, and if you dug deep enough, you might find a hot pepper plant or two, some mustard basil (which is invasive, by the way- it has tried to overtake every pot and planter we have), and chives galore. Yeah, no. That was not ok in my book. For those of you who know my dad, in this respect I am most definitely his daughter. I am 100% OCD about my garden, and that was not going to fly. So lo and behold, last summer my hardworking husband once again gifted me his precious time and energy and built me the garden I so desperately wanted. I now have tomatoes (beefsteak, roma, sungolds and cherubs), cucumbers, zucchinis, sweet bell peppers, hot peppers, watermelons, and squash started in our dining room, carrots started outside, and am anxiously awaiting the warmer temperatures so that I can finally start my lettuce (4 varieties, because I have issues), kale, spinach, beets, radishes, and turnips. I have my herb garden (basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, mint and chives) already flourishing indoors and can't wait to move the planter out onto the deck once it's warmer. And my favorite *hopeful* plants this year: strawberries and raspberries lining the garden gates. I will be praising God endlessly if He actually blesses us with some tasty berries this year! So, as you can see, I am beyond excited (and slightly overzealous) about our garden this year. We plan to make home-made babyfood for Jack, which is another reason I'm so excited for a good garden. Our garden last year proved fantastic (so fantastic we had to give away 10lbs of tomatoes due to an overabundance!) so I can't wait for this year, especially since we've added so much variety and learned so much since last year.
One thing's for sure though: planting a garden with a baby is hard work! Finding the time to do so is near impossible, even being home all the time. When he takes a nap, I'll try to slip outside some days for even 20 minutes, with my iPhone's babycam on high volume, and turn the dirt or water the carrots, but it always seems the second I grab the garden tiller or fill the watering can, I'll hear the little sniffles on the babycam and it'll be put on hold again. It's rough gardening with a 4 month old, but here's to hoping the spurratic work we put in still pays off :) luckily I've got an amazing husband who wants to hang with Jack every chance he gets so I can try to get things done for myself while he's home.
And as for homemade baby food: nope, haven't done it yet. We bought a really epic food processor last Black Friday though just for this purpose, and I hope it turns out well. I'm so grossed out by how much everything is processed nowadays, that's the last thing I want to give Jack (not to mention- some of that baby food is horrifyingly gross... if I wouldn't eat that, why would I make him eat it?) So, once kiddo's big enough for "solids" (just a few more months!) I'll be posting an update on how that works out. Fingers crossed it does! :)
