The Nomadic Period

This is such a weird time in our lives. I’m going to call it our “Nomadic Period.” We were at my mom’s house for a month, which was nice because Wilder adores her and she was a huge help with him. After the exhausting month preceding our move, it felt good to be able to relax a little and enjoy being around family. However, going from complete freedom and privacy in our own home to living in someone else’s house was a big adjustment. I missed having our own space and being able to cook in my own kitchen. I also missed the exhaustion and reward of being Wilder’s primary caregiver.

We needed a place of our own but with Paul’s job situation so up in the air we still don’t know for sure where we’ll be long term. Luckily another family member has a sort of vacation home outside of town that they aren’t currently using and they have been gracious enough to let us move in there while we wait for things to get sorted out. And Paul’s dad has plenty of work for him to do so at least we’ve got an income coming in. So I have to say we’re in a good position even if we are technically homeless… and all of our stuff is still in moving pods in San Diego… and our future is completely uncertain. Things could be worse.

We’ve definitely been finding fun stuff to do and taking advantage of being close to family and friends. It’s so weird to be able to see our loved ones whenever we want and we’re loving it!

Paul’s sister, Lizanne, invited us up to Nashville one night for a house party she and her roommates were throwing in their gigantic eight-bedroom house. Most of her roommates are in bands and they know a lot of other bands so there were about five groups that played in the huge upstairs music room. Everyone there was at least five years younger than us so Paul and I stood out like sore thumbs but we had a good time anyway and it was fun to hang out with Lizanne a little.

Most interesting instrument of the night: accordian

We went to some storytimes at the library in Jackson last week. If you live in Jackson and don’t know about these storytimes, you should – they are great! They have them three times a week and they sing songs, read a couple of books, and do a little craft at each one. I was pleasantly surprised that the storytime at the downtown library was so nice. Anyway, at the first one we ran into the mother of a good friend from high school who was keeping her little girl. She and Wilder had met once before when they were a lot younger so it was fun to see how much they had grown.

Wilder and Hadley Kate standing next to each other on the left

The next time I invited my friend, Tiffany, and her two little girls to go with us. Rory and Wilder are such cute little friends and they had a big time together.

When we got there Wilder claimed himself 

a prime seat right up front :)

A couple of weeks ago Paul’s dad’s girlfriend had us over to her house for dinner with Paul’s dad and her sweet daughter. Wilder loved getting to explore a new house and play with his Daddy G.

My grandmother’s sisters were in town from Kentucky for a visit and their family is who Wilder is named after so we, of course, had to take him over to see them. He had fun showing off his ball skills for them and they just ate him up. I was trying to get a picture of the three sisters together but Wilder kept walking through and smiling for the camera – he’s not used to not being the star of my photos, haha :)

Last weekend my best friend, Jinny, invited us over to swim/play and grill out at her house. Wilder had a blast playing with Blane and Aniston, swimming with his daddy, jumping on a trampoline for the first time, and petting some horses! I loved getting to spend a good chunk of time with my bestest friend and her family instead of rushing over for a couple hours’ visit like we’ve always had to.

Paul and I have also enjoyed getting to spend some adult time with friends lately.

We went to dinner with our friend, Drew, the other night

And out with more friends later in the week

It has still been super hot, as most of you know, so we’ve been trying to spend as much time as possible in or around water, which is A-okay with my little water baby.

Can I just tell you how much Wilder adores his Uncle William? I don’t think William has ever met a kid who didn’t love him and Wilder is so lucky to have such a loving, fun uncle.

Wilder with his Cuncle, as he calls him :)

Wilder has been cracking me up lately. The other morning he was reading while waiting on me to get ready to go to storytime and then I turn around to find him like this. I don’t think he was completely asleep, maybe just in a coma of boredom.

His favorite game recently is to play “night-night.” Anytime there is a pillow within reach he lays his head down on it and says, Ni-ni, and then pats the pillow next to him and says, Mama, ni-ni, and wants me to lay my head down with him. If anyone else is in the room at the time he makes them go night-night too, including the dogs. Then after everyone is at rest, he sits up, makes us sit up too, and then immediately lies back down and repeats the whole thing over and over. I have no idea why this is so fun but I always play along in hopes that one of these days he’ll actually fall asleep while playing it. Anyway, since he’s so obsessed with lying on pillows lately I decided to try giving him one to sleep with in his crib. Well, apparently he decided it was more comfortable to lie completely on top of it and this is how I found him when I went to check on him. He is so silly!

More silliness…

He picked this up in the yard the other day

and I told him it was an acorn hat so

of course, he put it right on his head

Captain America

Worker man (with the most giant dump

truck ever, which he insisted on carrying

with him in seat of the cart at Target)

A Burst Bubble

San Diego was a bubble for me. Not only a bubble of perfect weather but a protective shield from all the troubles we left here in the South. Our worries didn't disappear when we moved but every mile we put between us made them seem smaller and smaller until they were very easily ignored. Hometown gossip, family drama, people's expectations of us -- none of it mattered because it was 2,000 miles away. 

No one knew us in San Diego. No one knew our families. No one knew our past. It was so easy to make our own choices and be whoever we wanted to be. I felt a burden lifted and I thrived in anonymity. 

That life was difficult in a way because we had no help. If we got a flat tire or needed to borrow a ladder or wanted a date night, it wasn't a given that someone would automatically be there. We had to depend on ourselves and our own resourcefulness. That made life a little harder but it also made us stronger and sharper. We were always on our toes and on top of things to ensure that we rarely got into a bind that required someone else's aid. 

I'm sure it sounds crazy but with all this help, so much help, I somehow feel weaker. Don't get me wrong, it's somewhat of a relief to have a break from being "on" all the time. But we've been here for almost a month and the feeling of impotence is starting to grate on me. I feel a need to get back out there, out of the safety net. To reclaim our independence and make our own way again. 

We probably won't ever have the cushion of 2,000 miles again. That bubble is, more than likely, forever burst. But we've gone from one extreme to the other now and I'm getting restless. I need at least a little padding between us and all the love, trouble, help, and annoyance that comes with being in our hometown. 

A Happy Heart

Thank God the heat has finally broken enough for me to think. We literally could not have picked a worse time to move to Tennessee. I had a headache for a week straight and poor Wilder has not stopped sweating since we stepped off that plane. He was a fairly sweaty baby even in the 70 degree San Diego weather but he basically spends his days completely drenched in this humid and hot Southern climate. Our doctor in San Diego had told me that I needed to just bathe him every other day at the most so his body could learn how to produce its own oils. Well that has completely gone out the window here in Tennessee. He gets so sweaty and dirty playing outside that many days he actually gets two baths. 

He is absolutely loving being here though -- there's so much nature and space and family. I still miss San Diego so much, especially when we're sitting inside in the afternoon because it's too hot to go out (or it's raining) and there's no indoor play places to take him to. (FYI, we're still in Jackson for the moment until Paul starts his job in Nashville.) I've definitely been bored on ordinary days but on the days when my mom is home or we go to the pool with my brother and his wife or we have family dinners... life just feels more full here. 

It hasn't taken long to convince me that we've made the right decision coming back home. Life is comfortable here; it's familiar. Not that that was ever a priority for me -- I always wanted change and adventure. But I have to admit that after being all out on our own 2,000 miles away from most of the people who loved us and could help us for so long... it's a nice break to have some of that weight off our shoulders.

And just seeing Wilder so deliriously happy to be around so many people who love him and seeing them falling all over themselves adoring him makes my heart dance a happy dance. This is what he needed. This was a missing piece of the puzzle that I didn't fully realize was so vital until it snapped into place and the completed picture was so much more vibrant and replete.

Of course, not everything is perfect or better but knowing that Wilder is so happy trumps all the other little inconveniences or annoyances. Life is what you make of it. This is a new chapter in our lives and we're going to make it a better one no matter what.

~~~

So, what has this new chapter entailed? Quite a lot so far actually... (P.S. Sorry for another gigantic post. After this I promise to start posting more regularly again so I don't have to bore you with any more marathon posts.)

The weekend after we got back was my cousin Katie's wedding. Katie and I grew up the only girls in a family full of boys so we've always been close and I was so excited to be a bridesmaid in her beautiful wedding. The weekend was HOT but everything to do with the celebration was so fresh and lovely. 

Wilder had so much fun playing with all his little cousins!

Hugs for his twinkie cousin, Mackenzie :)

How cute are they?!

The bridesmaids and flower girls at the bridesmaids luncheon

Mackenzie is only about 6 months older than 

Wilder but she thought he was her baby haha ;)

The bride and me at the rehearsal dinner after party

Getting into her gorgeous dress

I loooved our bridesmaids dresses!

Katie and our sweet grandmother

First dance

Wilder was enthralled with the band

My sister-in-law and me

Wilder dancing with his cousin Liv

These two had a big time together :)

It's not a party until someone ends up in their underwear ;)

Us with the newlyweds

The next week we drove up to Nashville one afternoon and spent some time with Paul's sister, Lizanne. We hadn't seen her since Christmas so it was nice to get to hang out a little.

Wilder has loved being outside so much despite the heat. He loves to "help" water the flowers and pick up sticks in the yard.

Before this rainy front came through we were at my grandmother's pool almost every day. Really the only way to stand being outside in that heat was to be in the water and Wilder loved every minute of it. Every day he gets better and better at kicking his legs and paddling his arms. I really think he may be able to swim on his own by the end of the summer.

Snack break

We've been having fun riding around town in the jeep my brother restored. That thing is so cool!

Paul learning how to drive it

A month or two before we left San Diego Wilder started telling me when he was about to poop but I had so much on my mind and knew that we were about to be so busy with the move that I decided to wait on getting him a potty. Once we got here and got settled a little bit Paul and I went to Target one night and bought him one. When Wilder saw it the next morning he got so excited and the next time he told me he needed to go we rushed in there with a toy to occupy him and he successfully did his business! I was so excited! We had to bring Grana and Dada in to show them his accomplishment and we all high-fived him and told him how big he was. That was a couple of weeks ago and since then he's gone in the potty at least once most days. Today he went twice. I really haven't pushed it but if he tells me or I see that he's about to go we make a game of running in there and I sit on the floor next to him and entertain him until he goes. 

While we're on the subject of Wilder, let me just tell you how big he's gotten... He pretty much narrates our entire day. Everything that he sees or anything that we're doing that he knows the word for he says it -- kitty, chair, truck, sun (Sun -- bright. he said to me yesterday), light, dark, pool, baby, wet, etc, etc. Sometimes he also describes what he's doing at the moment -- he'll say reach if he's trying to reach something, put when he puts his cup on the table, running when he's running or if he sees someone jogging, etc. Its cracks me up! I had a list of almost 120 words that Paul and I wrote down for his 18-month checkup. Now a month later, I could not even count how many words he says. The other day I got him ready upstairs to go somewhere and then started down the stairs with him and he pointed to my shoulder and said, Purse. I had to assure him that I hadn't forgotten my purse, that it was already downstairs. I really cannot believe how smart and perceptive he is. 

His new thing is touch. Anything he sees that he thinks is interesting or exciting he says touch, even if it's an 18-wheeler we're passing on the highway or a bumble bee. My grandmother always has deer in her yard when it gets toward dusk and the other night we saw some when we were over there. They were pretty far away but Wilder insisted that he wanted to touch them so we told him to go for it and he started making his way towards them. I guess they could see that he was a baby and they didn't feel threatened by him so they actually let him get within probably fifty yards of them. We couldn't believe it. We just kept watching him get closer and closer until they finally ran off. It was pretty amazing.

He and his doggies are still big buddies. He loves to hug on them, share his food with them, and run around with them in the yard.

He is OBSESSED with sports but his favorite right now is baseball (closely followed by golf). He can tell you all about "America's favorite pastime" -- baseball, bat, swing, hit, ball, catch, throw, running, glove, and I swear to you today we were looking at shapes and I pointed out a diamond shape and he said Baseball -- diamond. I am seriously blown away on a daily basis by the things that he has picked up on or remembers. 

I swear he's ambidextrous... 

Batting left handed

And putting right handed

 Also this kid sweats like a man

Here's a video of him yesterday playing with his tee that Paul got for him and talking about the baseball game we were going to last night. He was SOOO excited about the game all day and said baseball no less than 500 times in the hours leading up to it.

Peanut butter sandwich smile :)

 Saying hi to the "Jackson General"

 Pretending to throw the ball

 Wilder and his buddy, our family friend, Mr. Tim

Last Sunday I decided we were going to have a family day, just the three of us, so we loaded into the car and drove to Memphis to take Wilder to the Children's Museum. We had so much fun and Wilder loved all the vehicles and balls and other boy stuff.

When he walked into this plane and saw the real cockpit with

all the switches, buttons, etc. he almost had a mini heart attack

My dad used to fly a FedEx airplane so it was 

special to me to sit in there and play with Wilder.

I can't wait for him to be old enough for me to tell

him about his Granddaddy.

Hahaha worst photo booth photos ever!

We've been enjoying spending so much good time with family including...

Celebrating Aunt Lauren's birthday

Wilder's and my artwork on her birthday present wrapping

 Playing and eating dinner with Paul's sweet

grandparents. Um, how cute is this picture??

Wilder absolutely adores them :)

"Helping" Uncle William work

 Entertaining my grandmother and her two sisters

who were visiting from Kentucky

For the Fourth of July we had the ultimate family day in the country. We went out to my grandmother's cabin in Cedar Grove with my mom, William and Lauren, and our family friends, the Wilsons. We had the best time and Wilder was in heaven riding the four-wheeler, sitting on the tractor, fishing, swimming in the lake, exploring the waterfall that my grandfather built, and eating burgers and pounds of watermelon. 

Watching amazed as Dada reels in a fish

Uncle William got Wilder his own tiny fishing pole

Trying to cast his line out like the big guys haha :)

Helping Dada reel in a fish

Catching a fish on his own little rod

Not too sure about it

He thought he was big stuff in Uncle William's boots

He sure loves his Grana

Sitting in the waterfall

My mom and her BFF

That ice cold water sure felt good on such a hot day

Love this picture :)

Happy baby

Hahahaha

My bloggy friend Tiffany is kind of in the same situation as we are. They have been away from Jackson for about eight years and have been living in Texas most recently. Her husband just got a job offer in Pickwick so they decided to move back closer to home. Until their rental starts in August they are staying with her parents here in Jackson so we knew we had to get together. We went over to North Park the other day so the kids could play. Despite the heat Wilder had fun with her girls. (Although he was quite confused when I told him we were going to play with Rory and Ryder and he said "PoPo?" (Posey). He didn't understand why Ryder was going and not his other doggy too haha. I kept saying "No, Ryder the girl, not Rider the doggy.")

Wilder and Rory

 We found them hiding in this one shady spot together :)

 Wilder was very taken with Ryder and her leggings

And her stroller

Paul and I have also been enjoying the freedom to go out with friends after Wilder goes to bed. It's been a long time since we've been able to socialize like this and we've missed it. 

OK I think that just about covers it all. Like I said I will definitely make an effort to post more regularly so these blog posts don't take me literally days to write and hours for you to read! Thanks for coming over to the new blog with me. I'm still working on the layout and design but I think the private blog will do me good. Hope you all have a great weekend!