Our New Normal

The boys have been with us for almost a month. In that time, they have moved to a different town and a new house, and then another new house (with us), embraced a new mom and dad, been introduced to new extended family members, learned new rules, slept in new beds, gone to a new church, started at a new school, met new teachers, seen a new dentist, gone to a new daycare (before school), made some new friends, and much more.

It will be a while before their little lives settle down enough to become the new normal for them, but we are doing all we can to get there and support them through this transition.

Our life changed a little too...correction, everything is different now. We are adjusting to our new normal as well. Our new normal is crazy and awesome and horrifying and exhausting. There are several things that have changed in our lives that make up our new normal, for example:

-Two little crazies call us "mom" and "dad"
-We are constantly tired. Constantly.
-One of us says the phrase "Don't even look at each other" at least once a day.
-We celebrate successes with stickers (sorry if that slips into the rest of my life, i.e. Congrats on your new baby! Here's a sticker!)
-If I'm home, there's a good chance I have a kitchen timer on my person.
-"Did you pee IN the toilet?" is a question I ask just about daily.

There are also several things I didn't realize I would experience when I became a mother like:

-The indescribable joy I feel when my youngest child belly laughs...seriously, happiest. sound. ever.
-The fierce love I feel toward my oldest child during a meltdown
-The intense heartbreak I feel when my children are beyond frustrated that they don't understand their homework
-The overwhelming pride I feel when my children say they do something "just like MY DAD!" (referring to Andy)

Our new life is absolutely insane. And our brains are constantly overloaded. And our hearts are constantly overwhelmed. And we feel like we're making 10,000 mistakes a day. And figuring out how to be good parents to our two little crazies is the hardest thing we've ever done in our whole lives. But we love these children more than life, so bring it on.

Thanks for your continued prayer and support for our family!