Looking Back at 2018

It's so hard to believe how much has transpired within the past year. Last January, I was starting a new job and had no clue how I was going to become a breast pumping mom at that new job. Ava was not even 3 months old and starting her first daycare. Fast forward to this morning: our walking, babbling toddler is SO excited to go to daycare that she keeps saying "shoes" over and over at me and insists that I put her jacket on before her pants. I'm really proud of how far we've come this year. I feel like I've grown a lot in ways I hadn't intended and maybe that's because growth is inevitable when you're doing hard things. Maybe that should make me excited about 2019 then because I feel like I'm going to have a lot of opportunities (personally) to grow. Here's a look back at some 2018 highlights!

• Ava 
• It took us a long time to choose Ava's first daycare (oh so many daycare visits) because she didn't yet have a spot in the base one. She ended up starting out at a Montessori daycare with Ms. Cassie.
• She transitioned to her infant classroom on base with Ms. Seanne (her absolute favorite teacher) and Ms. Margie around 4 months old.
• She just transitioned to the toddler classroom around a year old and holds her own in a classroom of all boys.
• We drank breast milk exclusively until about 10 months when we started supplementing with formula, and then we weaned pretty naturally around a year. 
• Travels
• Mike had works trips to Florida, DC, and England.
• We first flew together as a family when we took Ava to the beach in SC in August.
• I went to Utah and Florida in November and December for trips for my new job.
• We flew home together for Thanksgiving to spend time with both my family and Mike's family and I learned that you should wash your water bottle frequently if you want to avoid poisoning yourself.
• We went to Fredericksburg, TX for a few days before Christmas and stayed at a lovely AirBnB.
• Mike completed multiple interview rounds for his next JAG assignment and, after getting the position, found out where we'll be moving next!
• I left a job that I loved at the nearby university for a remote career coaching position with a young startup that hopefully I'll be able to keep at our next duty station. It's been quite the glorious adventure so far! Since I started working from home, we've had to convert our guest bedroom/nursery into an office/nursery, but we do have a very nice air mattress!
• Rupert
• Rupert turned 8 in June and has learned that toddlers can't reach higher ground. Ava loves him (she tries to say cat, but can't get the T) and always tries to pet him and he will even tolerate that for a few minutes. She has learned, for the most part, to be gentle with him.
• Health
• After dealing with some postpartum mood stuff, I received a diagnose of hypothyroidism in September (due to Hashimoto's Thyroiditis). Let this be a reminder to you that you should not put off seeing your doctor if you feel off. It was hard for me to differentiate what was normal new mom stuff from other symptoms. My medication has helped, but I'm also seeing a therapist for anxiety-related stuff and trying to take better care of my body regarding eating and movement.
• I started running again at some point this summer. My running condition is nowhere near what it used to be, but I'm okay with that. I've been enjoying yoga a lot more and we just got some Les Mills weight equipment so we can also do those classes via an app.

For 2019, we have a lot coming up! There is a move on the horizon and a language being practiced, but we're going to lean on each other throughout it all! In addition, I'm going to try to post on our blog more, but it might include more words & less pictures than normal because we're sending all of our photos to a Google photos account. If you'd like access, let us know!