Schedule Mayhem: Back to Work, Back to School

This week added another new element to our family schedule.  Gavin is back to school!  Developmental kindergarten (young 5's) every day for a half day.  And I'm back to work as of last week.  Our household schedule has been thrown out the window!  Thank goodness Isla is so easy going and just goes with the flow.

We're so proud of Gavin - he's so excited for school and already loves his teacher, classroom and friends.  Day one, he left our side and never looked back.  Mr. Independence.  Interestingly, evenings have been a bit wild in our household.  When Gavin gets tired (which I think he's been with the new schedule), he gets a little crazy and spontaneous and bounces off the walls.  I'm hoping we all settle into the new schedule in the next week or so.  Brad has done remarkably well balancing the kids and school while I'm back to work.  Such a relief for me to know I don't need to worry!

 The night before school resumed - ready to conquer DK!

 Here's Gavin looking exactly like his Uncle Andy!  I see so much of my oldest brother in him in this photo.  Funny, because he usually looks like my brother Tim.  This is definitely Andy.

 So proud of his Lego Star Wars backpack (proportionally a little large for him, but too cool to pass up).

 This was an attempt to wink at the camera (his idea).

 Walking into school

In the classroom!

My transition back has gone well.  I'm excited to be back using that part of my brain again, jumping right back into all of my projects.  I missed them!  And my coworkers gave such a warm welcome back - confetti decorated desk, flowers, bagels.  It is nice to know I was missed!  Overall, the transition has been good.  When I went back to work after having Gavin, I remember it felt like the end.  But it's really not.  So, I think my transition has been better with Isla just given all that I know is ahead.  It's no where near the end.

 I suppose this is what goes on when I back at the office - poor girl, trapped by the train bridge!

 Our Isla at 3 months (12 pounds 4 ounces)!

The Nursery: Maternity Leave Bucket List Completed

The final "to do" on my bucket list - and really so fitting that I saved it for last.

Here's my story on the nursery...

The nursery is not just a room, not just a place, not just a diaper changing station and crib.  To me, the nursery represents a leap of faith.  One that ends in way I thought impossible, insurmountable, not meant to be.  But in actuality, a leap of faith that ends with life.  Beautiful, sweet LIFE.  Life, simple huh?  Not really.

26 weeks+ pregnant, every day comments: "So, I bet you have the nursery all set.  What does it look like?"  Well, it looks like an office.  With a few miscellaneous pieces of furniture.  Gray walls.  Some paper-work organizing stuff.  A bunch of books.  There. Is. No. Nursery.  There's an office.  Yup, it's a nice office.  If and when Isla comes home to live with us, then we'll work to convert it.  What?  "If" and "when"?  Who thinks like this?  I do.  It's the thought that consumed me during most of my pregnancy.  The "ifs" and "whens" that made me so vulnerable, so guarded.

There would be no nursery.  The nursery was a mythical, foggy, distant (if ever) place in our house.  It eluded me.  A place that not all babies get to know.  A place that our old house was privileged to hold our Gavin, and devastated to the core to not be used for our Grace.

I think that's why it's the last thing completed on my maternity leave bucket list, with just a day to spare.  Even after Isla was born - alive and healthy and beautiful - and came home with us (chills still to type that), I couldn't quite bring myself to transform that room.

Practically speaking, she really didn't need it right away.  No baby really does right?  So why do we spend so much time prepping it ahead of time anyway?  She'll never remember that the cutesie decor wasn't adorning the walls and that her crib wasn't made just perfectly.  She slept her first 10 weeks away in the pack-and-play in our room anyway.

Emotionally, I think I just couldn't quite let myself believe she was staying.  Not that I really thought she was going anywhere.  But at times when I'd look at her, I'd think that if I pinched myself, it would all be a dream.  And that there would still be no nursery.

But she's here, even through the pinches :)

So, I finally tackled the transition on Sunday.  Brad and Gavin were off to Michigan's Adventure with friends, so my mom headed over to help me with Isla and the room project.  I had been thinking for many weeks what I wanted it to look like and finally acted on purchasing some things on Etsy.  I still get so geeked to be buying little girl things.  It almost feels sinful.

We now have a nursery.  To some, it's just a room, a physical space.  But to me it represents so much more.  I'm very proud and BLESSED to have this room in our home.

Here are some photos:

 The center piece of room, a wall decal that took a day to hang (and caused me to have carpal tunnel pain in my wrist for three days!)

 The room is mostly greens and browns (things from Gavin's gender neutral nursery), but I added some hints of pink here and there.  I'm proud of the letters I made for this bookcase.

 Oh, all those leaves!  Spring has sprung in Isla's room.

Our original nursery decor includes these cute bunnies.  Gavin had a bunny decal on his wall, I miss that little guy!  Now Isla has bunnies and birds.  And a hint of butterflies ;)

And one more photo, that I'm late posting.  Isla Rose at two months!

Where did I leave off?

My I've been a bad blogger.  Here's a catch up on our summer/maternity leave fun...

We spent a week in Traverse City on the bay.  It was lovely.  We were able to spend a few days with Grandma Shirley and the remainder of the week with Maeme and Bapa.  Lots of time in the water (the bay is just about as perfect as it comes for small kiddos and swimming), mini golfing, ice cream eating, bike riding, and dune visiting.  Sleeping Bear Dunes is just breathtaking.  I had never been and really wanted to go, and have our whole family experience this "most beautiful place in the US".  It was amazing!  A couple of funny Gavin dune comments: "I call these the dune trails of death." and (as he was climbing a steep dune) "I can climb any dune because I have a pirate tattoo."  The tattoo was from the mini golf place.  He really treasured that little body marking.

We went blueberry picking this last week.  Gavin loves to pick.  This year, we went to a farm with larger bushes than last year.  He found his "sweet spot" for picking between the bushes, a place only little ones can squeeze in, finding lots of untouched berries.  Brad and Isla came along and strolled in the carrier napping while Gavin and I picked.  Our freezer is all stocked up for the winter.

Last night we headed to Grand Haven - a place we frequently visit in the summer but hadn't yet this year - to stroll the boardwalk and pier and catch the musical fountain.  Gavin and Isla's first fountain experience was fun.  Gavin was swaying to the music in amazement of the lights.  Part of the fun was just the simple joy of rolling down the hilly lawn waiting for the show to begin (and staying up WAY past his bedtime).  Isla just enjoyed being along for the ride as usual.  She's quite the easy going traveler.

I have really enjoyed my summer maternity leave.  I'm back to work this week Tuesday.  So hard to believe it has been 12 weeks already.  I'm going to miss my kiddos (and Brad of course) when I return.  I do feel a bit less anxious about it this go around.  I remember feeling so sad about leaving Gavin when my leave was done, thinking it was the end.  What I found out is that it is just the beginning.  Even working moms get to enjoy so much.  There's so much ahead for Isla even with my return to work.  And she's in the absolute best care imaginable with her Dadda.

Here's a gazillion photos to catch us up...

 A fun play date with some of Gavin's friends from school.  Boy, he misses seeing them more regularly this summer!  Back to school in just over a week for developmental kindergarten.

 Gavin did two week of zoo school and made this very cool souvenir apron.

 I believe approximately 75% of the summer has been spent in my parent's pool.  Gavin can now swim down about 3/4 of the way to the bottom of the deep end, learned to dive and do cannon balls, and is just such a strong swimmer.  We'll continue more advanced lessons this fall and winter.

 We bought a cool "trail gator" so that Brad and Gavin can hook their bikes together for longer bike rides.

 Spending the day with the cousins while Uncle Chris and Aunt Jodi undertook the big move.

 Amazon, we love you for amazing deals.  But we love you even more for your boxes that barely make it into the house before being reconstructed into a new creation.  It's number 41, Gavin Clark (crowd roars!)

 Pardon my look in this photo fresh out of bed!

 And pardon my look in this photo in this very unflattering post-baby top (bad fashion choice with hindsight).  But here we are at the dunes (flabby belly and all - still continuing my weight loss/get back in shape efforts).

 Spider Man dune poses.

 Walking up the big dune!

 Half way

And running down...

A butterfly in the sand :)

Family photo complete with our Gracie :)

A rare photo with Grandma

 The bikers (Isla and run behind in the jogging stroller)

A whole lotta cherry pits.

 Lego Carnival was in town

Ready to pick!

 Grand Haven

And wrapping up with some random baby cuteness!

 I have photos of Gavin laying on this same blanket at Grand Haven :)