Rambles of a Fool

A family update, sort of, since today is a giant game of two truths and a lie. So here's my truths (and a teeny lie, maybe.) 

This weekend, we spent a lot of time helping Grace with her right hand and arm. There are mixed opinions on what "delayed" means for a six month old, but she vastly prefers her left hand and arm, so she was evaluated today. It's not a cause for alarm (Will was quite pleased how much she flailed it around a few nights ago while distressed), but it raise a few flags. We want to have her evaluated early to see what we can do with her at home, and, if necessary, get her the help she needs to help better develop her right hand and arm's motor skills. Legs working great, and she's flying by all her other milestones!  

Little Lefty Baldwin

The weather is really nice down here, and I'm torn between taking Grace out on walk after walk or face the music... err, laundry. I've had to come up with a rewards system for myself to motivate myself, but mostly, I need a new routine. Grace is starting to really take regular naps now, so maybe it's time?

My ideal day: mass in the morning; home for coffee and breakfast; play with Grace; nap time for Grace/ writing time for me; Grace up - lunch; afternoon walk + play; Grace nap/ chores/ start dinner/ writing; Grace up; dinner; family time; family rosary; Grace books + bed; clean up from dinner; my time; bed time.

What really happens: Grace wakes up between 2-3:30 am, ready to play; She gets up again between 5-6 (Will retrieves her); I am groggy till 10 am; play with Grace and clean up; forget to go to mass; nap time for everyone (Except Will, who is gone at school); lunch time; afternoon prayer; more play time and clean up time while also answering e-mails; maybe exercise; fix dinner; run errands; nap time?; fall on the couch in defeat and watch a show; clean ALL THE THINGS; play time with Grace; Will home for dinner; I wonder how the house got messy again so fast; family rosary walk; books + bed for Grace; Julie time; bed; Grace wakes up; put her back to bed; bed.{More or less... okay, less. Definitely less, plus more editing/ e-mails/ reading.}

Baldwins cheer for UK so now, so do I!

Will's contract, etc. arrived from PA, and my flight to Philadelphia has been booked - my MIL, Grace and I are house hunting at the end of the month! Bank hunting too, and definitely visiting the Promised Land (a.k.a. IKEA). Mostly, I'm feeling good! I've [very recently] had to stop myself from Google searching "residency spouse survival stories" and "how to survive residency" ... not that I'm not thrilled: I'm just "realistic" about my future.

When I was a nanny, I was lucky enough to work for two fantastic families. Even better than that, I worked for two EM doctors. Not only were they gracious enough to let me pick their brains, but their lovely wives gave me even more insight and advice, and I got to experience the kind of hours and schedules I can expect in the future.

There are a lot of pluses: Will won't be on call. Will won't ever be on call.
Then, there are the cons: Will is going to work extremely long hours for the next three years.

I think my husband is so lucky to be entering the field he loves; a field where he gets to help people get through their immediate crisis. It won't be easy, and I know it'll be frustrating at times, and I know he'll thrive. With medicine, it's amazing how much a person's personality seems to dictate their field of interest, and Will seems to be made for this. I'm excited to watch him jump back into clinical work, as well as continue his research interests.

And really, I'm just amazed at how God uses his mercy and love to lead us by the hand through the darkness of life. Life, where nothing is guaranteed, and all love is taken at a price. Love in God, however, is rooted deep, and faithfulness shows how a path we took by accident can lead us through the woods, and a tree we barely noticed before is the one giving us shade.

As I really grow in my marriage and in motherhood, I get to know myself more and more. As I learn how to cook better, and find small victories, I relish in feeding my family. As I continue to write and read for pleasure, I love being off the hamster wheel of deadlines [sort of... types the EIC of Ignitum Today, contributor, etc.]. Or, to put it better, I like not being paid to write about things I didn't really care about, or have interest in expounding upon. I really like exploring my writing interests more.

I like finding my limits, and being okay with them. I like indulging a little bit more, organizing a little bit more, and getting outside more and more.

It's easy to watch people's lives now via social media and compare your life to theirs: don't. Don't ruin your ability to be happy by wishing on another's star. Don't always want and never see what you already have.

There is a line in Caritas in Veritae about the Church being responsible for creation -- and so are we: our own life is the greatest creation! It's not as hard as we'd like to think to cultivate a bit more beauty in this world. Here are a few things I am doing:

• Take the time to dress well
• Make the bed
• Tidy the house
• Open the windows to let in fresh air 
• Talk a walk; admire scenery
• Read a good book
• Keep an art journal
• Spend less time online
• Have regular prayer times
• Write one thank you note or letter
• Indulge in a hobby
• Have a picnic (inside one fine too, if weather dictates)
• Explore the library (especially the main branch); enjoy visually appealing books, like graphic design, anatomy and physiology, 
• Learn something new, for fun!
• Buy flowers (I like tulips best)
• Drink tea or coffee from a tea cup
• Cook/ bake something that smells as good as it tastes

(Anything you like to do?)

This lady is the most beautiful part of my life!

Okay, I've abused my readership enough. Off to keep working on my pet project of putting all my pictures/ videos into new locations. Post to follow, obviously.

Happy April!

P.S. I really hated this video of the Lion King cast singing 'Circle of Life' on a plane... don't watch it.