Finding things to blog about now that I’m back at work is tough. In theory I should have tons to write about, but the fast-paced nature of being a working mom doesn’t allow as much time for creative thinking.
Tuesday was Arabella’s 5-month celebration. We of course took photos on her blanket from Mandy to mark the occasion. She is now thoroughly enjoying apples. She also LOVES to touch her toes. She is such a happy baby… except when she’s hungry or tired (sound familiar?).
Tuesday was my last day of work before a quick trip to Pittsburgh for Liz’s wedding. Fall is my favorite time of year in Western PA, so I can’t wait to get there for a multitude of reasons. It will be our first time truly away from Arabella (and by away I mean 50 miles away for two nights, but still) and my parents have volunteered to do the honors of watching both Arabella AND Baxter. They are very excited about it, though I fear the 24/7 chaos that is AB and BB may wear on them quickly. Perhaps I’ll turn off my phone 🤔
Tuesday was also an exciting day for me because I figured out childcare for Arabella. (With no time to spare considering that my parent’s three weeks of commuting from PA was ending on Wednesday). I took a very laid back approach to all of this because I didn’t want to force anything and was open to all alternatives. I feel very good about how it worked out.
Since Wednesday was DD and MJ’s last day in Chicago I took advantage of the childcare and made a “stock-up” run to Target. Buying all the big stuff— diapers, wipes, toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex and dishwasher detergent (the latest thing we hoard thanks to bottle washing)— is MUCH easier to buy without a baby in tow. It’s also much easier when one has an empty trunk. The fact that I operated for most of my adult life without a trunk is hilarious. What a game changer.
Later we went out to lunch at Epic Burger and then did a little fall shopping at Baby Gap and Nordstrom Rack. And by shopping I mean looking because we didn’t buy much.
DD and MJ said their goodbyes to AB when we got home (you would think they weren’t going to see her for 24 months rather than 24 hours, by anyway) and headed to the train station.
Wednesday night we had dinner with our friend Felix, who was visiting from San Francisco. We had some delicious Thai food from one of our favorite places.
Now, it’s time for the dreaded task of packing. A task that I’ll likely be writing about again tomorrow— because there is zero chance of me actually doing (or even starting) it tonight.
Trina Orlando 